Lis Lowe
@lislowe.bsky.social
Scientist, mum, wife. Fan of gut bacteria, mycobacteria, glycans and cazymes. Mannose evangelist. Lowe Lab, NUBI, Newcastle University
Reposted by Lis Lowe
A gift of an article from the inimitable Colin Kleanthous as he says a moving farewell to his laboratory. A brave, unrepentant and scientifically brilliant journey is described - please have a read, friends.
www.jbc.org/article/S002...
www.jbc.org/article/S002...
Bacteriocin biophysics: From protein-protein interaction models to navigators of the bacterial cell envelope
Bacteriocins are toxins deployed by bacteria to kill their competitors. Here, I reflect
on my laboratory’s work on protein bacteriocins and their immunity proteins from Gram-negative
bacteria. We unco...
www.jbc.org
February 2, 2026 at 12:39 PM
A gift of an article from the inimitable Colin Kleanthous as he says a moving farewell to his laboratory. A brave, unrepentant and scientifically brilliant journey is described - please have a read, friends.
www.jbc.org/article/S002...
www.jbc.org/article/S002...
Reposted by Lis Lowe
#Microbiology
The anti-tuberculosis drug bedaquiline targets the mycobacterial ATP synthase, but how that leads to bacterial death is unclear
Here the authors clarify how bedaquiline works
@jnblab.bsky.social @morwan.me
#TBSky #antibiotics #AMR
http://dlvr.it/TQjZ0W
The anti-tuberculosis drug bedaquiline targets the mycobacterial ATP synthase, but how that leads to bacterial death is unclear
Here the authors clarify how bedaquiline works
@jnblab.bsky.social @morwan.me
#TBSky #antibiotics #AMR
http://dlvr.it/TQjZ0W
February 2, 2026 at 5:07 PM
#Microbiology
The anti-tuberculosis drug bedaquiline targets the mycobacterial ATP synthase, but how that leads to bacterial death is unclear
Here the authors clarify how bedaquiline works
@jnblab.bsky.social @morwan.me
#TBSky #antibiotics #AMR
http://dlvr.it/TQjZ0W
The anti-tuberculosis drug bedaquiline targets the mycobacterial ATP synthase, but how that leads to bacterial death is unclear
Here the authors clarify how bedaquiline works
@jnblab.bsky.social @morwan.me
#TBSky #antibiotics #AMR
http://dlvr.it/TQjZ0W
Reposted by Lis Lowe
I know what they're getting at with the "could put jobs at risk" but can we focus on the immediate impact? Each suspended round at MRC and BBSRC means about 80 fewer postdoc jobs and the retrospective cuts at MRC add another 30 or so
Next, @isaacbarbosa1.bsky.social writes that researchers have warned that changes to applicant-led funding opportunities at the MRC and the BBSRC are hitting morale and could put jobs at risk.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
MRC and BBSRC grant uncertainty ‘deeply demoralising’ - Research Professional News
Researchers fear job losses, more bid competition and greater pain for smaller universities
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
February 2, 2026 at 5:27 PM
I know what they're getting at with the "could put jobs at risk" but can we focus on the immediate impact? Each suspended round at MRC and BBSRC means about 80 fewer postdoc jobs and the retrospective cuts at MRC add another 30 or so
Reposted by Lis Lowe
With much love RIP Catherine O'Hara.
January 30, 2026 at 8:35 PM
With much love RIP Catherine O'Hara.
Reposted by Lis Lowe
Hudson Freeze #glycotime www.theguardian.com/us-news/vide...
January 29, 2026 at 6:27 AM
Hudson Freeze #glycotime www.theguardian.com/us-news/vide...
Reposted by Lis Lowe
I am completely baffled by the total lack of any action or any evidence of speaking out from our scientific ‘leaders’. We’re in a void of information and the consequences are potentially catastrophic- especially as it looks like BBSRC are following suit.
Has the MRC research funding ‘pause’ been covered by any major news network?
It feels like it should be a major news story
It feels like it should be a major news story
January 28, 2026 at 7:54 AM
I am completely baffled by the total lack of any action or any evidence of speaking out from our scientific ‘leaders’. We’re in a void of information and the consequences are potentially catastrophic- especially as it looks like BBSRC are following suit.
Reposted by Lis Lowe
www.findaphd.com/phds/project... interested in bacterial antagonism? PhD opportunity in our team, see below. Please repost!
Characterising antibacterial toxins in the food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes at Newcastle University on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Characterising antibacterial toxins in the food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes at Newcastle University, listed on FindAPhD.com
www.findaphd.com
January 23, 2026 at 10:33 AM
www.findaphd.com/phds/project... interested in bacterial antagonism? PhD opportunity in our team, see below. Please repost!
Reposted by Lis Lowe
Happy New Year – new role! 🎉
We’re looking for a PostDoc to join us in @halllab.bsky.social @unibirmingham.bsky.social.
Full-time, fixed-term to March 2028. Note tight closing date: 11 Jan 2026. CV + cover letter (submit via portal).
Further details 👇
edzz.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
We’re looking for a PostDoc to join us in @halllab.bsky.social @unibirmingham.bsky.social.
Full-time, fixed-term to March 2028. Note tight closing date: 11 Jan 2026. CV + cover letter (submit via portal).
Further details 👇
edzz.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
Research Fellow - Department of Microbes, Infection and Microbiomes - 106849 - Grade 7
To create and contribute to the creation of knowledge by undertaking a specified range of activities as part of an Investigator project funded by Wellcome, focusing on understanding microbial and diet...
edzz.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com
January 7, 2026 at 5:06 PM
Happy New Year – new role! 🎉
We’re looking for a PostDoc to join us in @halllab.bsky.social @unibirmingham.bsky.social.
Full-time, fixed-term to March 2028. Note tight closing date: 11 Jan 2026. CV + cover letter (submit via portal).
Further details 👇
edzz.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
We’re looking for a PostDoc to join us in @halllab.bsky.social @unibirmingham.bsky.social.
Full-time, fixed-term to March 2028. Note tight closing date: 11 Jan 2026. CV + cover letter (submit via portal).
Further details 👇
edzz.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
Reposted by Lis Lowe
We’re excited to share our latest study that reshapes our understanding of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) lipid composition, with major implications for drug discovery, immunity, and vaccine development.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A thread.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A thread.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis overcomes phosphate starvation by extensively remodelling its lipidome with phosphorus-free lipids - Nature Communications
Here, the authors show that Mycobacterium tuberculosis manipulates lipid metabolism to overcome host restriction, by remodelling its lipidome and utilising host lipids as an alternative phosphate sour...
www.nature.com
December 22, 2025 at 1:11 PM
We’re excited to share our latest study that reshapes our understanding of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) lipid composition, with major implications for drug discovery, immunity, and vaccine development.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A thread.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A thread.
Reposted by Lis Lowe
Fantastic to have Prof Matthias Wilmanns from EMBL Hamburg hosted by @kshbeckham.bsky.social to give a @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social seminar on mycobacterial infection #dreamtheme
December 2, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Fantastic to have Prof Matthias Wilmanns from EMBL Hamburg hosted by @kshbeckham.bsky.social to give a @mhd-newcastle.bsky.social seminar on mycobacterial infection #dreamtheme
Reposted by Lis Lowe
Absolutely blown away by the staging and acting at opening night of my play @taratheatre.com last night. Thanks so @natashakchandra.bsky.social and the entire team for transforming it into something special!
Please go see it if you're in London- on until Nov 29th:
taratheatre.com/whats-on/i-d...
Please go see it if you're in London- on until Nov 29th:
taratheatre.com/whats-on/i-d...
I Dream of Theresa May – Tara Theatre
taratheatre.com
November 18, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Absolutely blown away by the staging and acting at opening night of my play @taratheatre.com last night. Thanks so @natashakchandra.bsky.social and the entire team for transforming it into something special!
Please go see it if you're in London- on until Nov 29th:
taratheatre.com/whats-on/i-d...
Please go see it if you're in London- on until Nov 29th:
taratheatre.com/whats-on/i-d...
Reposted by Lis Lowe
Are you looking for female speakers in CryoEM for seminars and conferences? Are you a woman in CryoEM and not yet on the ‚woman in CryoEM‘ list? Find your speakers and add/update name and affiliation! docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
November 18, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Are you looking for female speakers in CryoEM for seminars and conferences? Are you a woman in CryoEM and not yet on the ‚woman in CryoEM‘ list? Find your speakers and add/update name and affiliation! docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Reposted by Lis Lowe
I wrote about my play and where it came from for @qxmagazine.bsky.social :
www.qxmagazine.com/2025/11/i-dr...
www.qxmagazine.com/2025/11/i-dr...
I Dream Of Theresa May: Vivek Nityananda writes about his new play at Tara Theatre, 17 - 29 November 2025
I Dream Of Theresa May: Vivek Nityananda writes about his new play at Tara Theatre, which runs from 17 - 29 November 2025.
www.qxmagazine.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:46 PM
I wrote about my play and where it came from for @qxmagazine.bsky.social :
www.qxmagazine.com/2025/11/i-dr...
www.qxmagazine.com/2025/11/i-dr...
Reposted by Lis Lowe
Pleased to see this collaboration with a great PhD student Pei Cing Ng, from Prof. Luning Liu's lab at Liverpool University published. Structure of the H. neapolitanus carbonic anhydrase and localisation in a mini-carboxysome: www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10....
November 13, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Pleased to see this collaboration with a great PhD student Pei Cing Ng, from Prof. Luning Liu's lab at Liverpool University published. Structure of the H. neapolitanus carbonic anhydrase and localisation in a mini-carboxysome: www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10....
Reposted by Lis Lowe
Funded PhD opportunity for anyone interested in using cutting-edge chemistry to look at glycan profiles in prostate cancer samples 🙌🏻
The successful student will be based at the University of York with Prof Alison Parkin with the opportunity to carry out a placement at the @nucancer.bsky.social
The successful student will be based at the University of York with Prof Alison Parkin with the opportunity to carry out a placement at the @nucancer.bsky.social
MRC DiMeN Doctoral Training Partnership: Rapid and sensitive diagnostic ‘fingerprinting’ of prostate cancer O-glycans using Fourier-Transform alternative current voltammetry (FTACV) at University of Y...
PhD Project - MRC DiMeN Doctoral Training Partnership: Rapid and sensitive diagnostic ‘fingerprinting’ of prostate cancer O-glycans using Fourier-Transform alternative current voltammetry ...
eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Funded PhD opportunity for anyone interested in using cutting-edge chemistry to look at glycan profiles in prostate cancer samples 🙌🏻
The successful student will be based at the University of York with Prof Alison Parkin with the opportunity to carry out a placement at the @nucancer.bsky.social
The successful student will be based at the University of York with Prof Alison Parkin with the opportunity to carry out a placement at the @nucancer.bsky.social
Reposted by Lis Lowe
Excited to share our preprint led by Carlos Voogdt et al
We developed new genetic tools & genome-wide libraries for species of the Bacteroidales order; constructed saturated barcoded transposon libraries in key representatives of three genera.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We developed new genetic tools & genome-wide libraries for species of the Bacteroidales order; constructed saturated barcoded transposon libraries in key representatives of three genera.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
October 13, 2025 at 7:48 AM
Excited to share our preprint led by Carlos Voogdt et al
We developed new genetic tools & genome-wide libraries for species of the Bacteroidales order; constructed saturated barcoded transposon libraries in key representatives of three genera.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We developed new genetic tools & genome-wide libraries for species of the Bacteroidales order; constructed saturated barcoded transposon libraries in key representatives of three genera.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Spending some time collecting memories of Harry today 🥺 - this is when he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. If anyone in the #glycotime universe has pictures or memories of Harry Gilbert they want to share please send them my way 💚
September 29, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Spending some time collecting memories of Harry today 🥺 - this is when he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. If anyone in the #glycotime universe has pictures or memories of Harry Gilbert they want to share please send them my way 💚
Reposted by Lis Lowe
Next up,
Dr Kate Beckham @kshbeckham.bsky.social
The Beckham lab is interested mycobacterial membrane transport processes. They focusing on understanding the steps occurring at the mycobacterial outer membrane.
www.ncl.ac.uk/cbcb/staff/p...
Dr Kate Beckham @kshbeckham.bsky.social
The Beckham lab is interested mycobacterial membrane transport processes. They focusing on understanding the steps occurring at the mycobacterial outer membrane.
www.ncl.ac.uk/cbcb/staff/p...
September 23, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Next up,
Dr Kate Beckham @kshbeckham.bsky.social
The Beckham lab is interested mycobacterial membrane transport processes. They focusing on understanding the steps occurring at the mycobacterial outer membrane.
www.ncl.ac.uk/cbcb/staff/p...
Dr Kate Beckham @kshbeckham.bsky.social
The Beckham lab is interested mycobacterial membrane transport processes. They focusing on understanding the steps occurring at the mycobacterial outer membrane.
www.ncl.ac.uk/cbcb/staff/p...
Reposted by Lis Lowe
Day 2 of MHD introductions 😃
Dr Lis Lowe @lislowe.bsky.social
The Lowe lab is focussed on microbial glycobiology. They work on bacterial Cazymes from commensals and pathogens, and are particularly interested in enzymes that target microbial glycans such as the cell walls of Mycobacteria.
Dr Lis Lowe @lislowe.bsky.social
The Lowe lab is focussed on microbial glycobiology. They work on bacterial Cazymes from commensals and pathogens, and are particularly interested in enzymes that target microbial glycans such as the cell walls of Mycobacteria.
September 23, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Day 2 of MHD introductions 😃
Dr Lis Lowe @lislowe.bsky.social
The Lowe lab is focussed on microbial glycobiology. They work on bacterial Cazymes from commensals and pathogens, and are particularly interested in enzymes that target microbial glycans such as the cell walls of Mycobacteria.
Dr Lis Lowe @lislowe.bsky.social
The Lowe lab is focussed on microbial glycobiology. They work on bacterial Cazymes from commensals and pathogens, and are particularly interested in enzymes that target microbial glycans such as the cell walls of Mycobacteria.
Reposted by Lis Lowe
Absolutely delighted to share the labs latest work. We identify and characterise two pathways for D-ribulose utilisation in pathogenic EHEC and Citrobacter.
Convergent evolution of distinct D-ribulose utilisation pathways in attaching and effacing pathogens - Nature Communications
Cottam et al. identify distinct pathways for D-ribulose utilisation in pathogenic Escherichia coli and Citrobacter rodentium, providing mechanistic details and suggesting convergent evolution towards ...
www.nature.com
July 30, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Absolutely delighted to share the labs latest work. We identify and characterise two pathways for D-ribulose utilisation in pathogenic EHEC and Citrobacter.
Reposted by Lis Lowe
*JOB AD*: interested in doing a postdoc in microbial metabolomics? Passionate about natural products mass spec?
Come join the group! Informal enquires welcome!
Closing Date: 19 August 2025
jobs.ncl.ac.uk/job/Newcastl...
Come join the group! Informal enquires welcome!
Closing Date: 19 August 2025
jobs.ncl.ac.uk/job/Newcastl...
Research Associate - Microbial Metabolomic
Research Associate - Microbial Metabolomic
jobs.ncl.ac.uk
July 22, 2025 at 2:32 PM
*JOB AD*: interested in doing a postdoc in microbial metabolomics? Passionate about natural products mass spec?
Come join the group! Informal enquires welcome!
Closing Date: 19 August 2025
jobs.ncl.ac.uk/job/Newcastl...
Come join the group! Informal enquires welcome!
Closing Date: 19 August 2025
jobs.ncl.ac.uk/job/Newcastl...
On the way home from a really great CAZyme GRC. Lots of v interesting talks, a poster prize for Jean-Lou, karaoke, lake swims, beers, catching up with friends, and a lot of responsibility in 2029 when I co-Chair the meeting!
July 25, 2025 at 8:41 PM
On the way home from a really great CAZyme GRC. Lots of v interesting talks, a poster prize for Jean-Lou, karaoke, lake swims, beers, catching up with friends, and a lot of responsibility in 2029 when I co-Chair the meeting!
Reposted by Lis Lowe
Farewell drinks with this guy. @wragbags.bsky.social we will miss you
July 16, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Farewell drinks with this guy. @wragbags.bsky.social we will miss you
Reposted by Lis Lowe
Folddisco finds similar (dis)continuous 3D motifs in large protein structure databases. Its efficient index enables fast uncharacterized active site annotation, protein conformational state analysis and PPI interface comparison. 1/9🧶🧬
📄 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🌐 search.foldseek.com/folddisco
📄 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🌐 search.foldseek.com/folddisco
July 7, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Folddisco finds similar (dis)continuous 3D motifs in large protein structure databases. Its efficient index enables fast uncharacterized active site annotation, protein conformational state analysis and PPI interface comparison. 1/9🧶🧬
📄 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🌐 search.foldseek.com/folddisco
📄 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🌐 search.foldseek.com/folddisco
Reposted by Lis Lowe
Learning from bacterial predators on porin-like proteins that trap lipids at rdcu.be/euXWk! Amazing insights by Rebecca J. Parr & Andrew L. Lovering @unibirmingham.bsky.social, and @lalouxlab.bsky.social, as well as all collaborators including Liz Sockett. #MicroSky #predatoryBacteria #porins
A porin-like protein used by bacterial predators defines a wider lipid-trapping superfamily
Nature Communications - This study reveals that an outer membrane protein from the predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus forms a pentameric assembly that traps a lipid monolayer within. This allows...
rdcu.be
July 7, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Learning from bacterial predators on porin-like proteins that trap lipids at rdcu.be/euXWk! Amazing insights by Rebecca J. Parr & Andrew L. Lovering @unibirmingham.bsky.social, and @lalouxlab.bsky.social, as well as all collaborators including Liz Sockett. #MicroSky #predatoryBacteria #porins