Liz Tan
@liztansposon.bsky.social
PhD student in Dr. Andrew Camilli's lab studying cholera phage at Tufts University in Boston,MA!
Reposted by Liz Tan
Thrilled to share our two latest papers with the @tcostalab.bsky.social
lab! In the first, we uncover a new mechanism of satellite transfer: cf-PICIs hijack tails from diverse phages to spread across species.
@imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
lab! In the first, we uncover a new mechanism of satellite transfer: cf-PICIs hijack tails from diverse phages to spread across species.
@imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Chimeric infective particles expand species boundaries in phage-inducible chromosomal island mobilization
Capsid-forming PICIs (cf-PICIs) produce their own capsids and exploit phage tails
from unrelated species to transfer their DNA across bacterial hosts. This tail piracy
enables broad dissemination and ...
www.cell.com
September 9, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Thrilled to share our two latest papers with the @tcostalab.bsky.social
lab! In the first, we uncover a new mechanism of satellite transfer: cf-PICIs hijack tails from diverse phages to spread across species.
@imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
lab! In the first, we uncover a new mechanism of satellite transfer: cf-PICIs hijack tails from diverse phages to spread across species.
@imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Reposted by Liz Tan
Reposted by Liz Tan
DNA nicking Class 1 OLD family nuclease mediates phage defense in Vibrio cholerae and is countered by a phage-encoded inhibitor
#phage #phagesky
academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
#phage #phagesky
academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
A DNA nicking Class 1 OLD family nuclease mediates phage defense in Vibrio cholerae and is countered by a phage-encoded inhibitor
Abstract. Bacteria are constantly threatened by their viral predators (phages), which has resulted in the development of defense systems for bacterial surv
academic.oup.com
August 31, 2025 at 12:24 AM
DNA nicking Class 1 OLD family nuclease mediates phage defense in Vibrio cholerae and is countered by a phage-encoded inhibitor
#phage #phagesky
academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
#phage #phagesky
academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
A fun mosaic of the events of the day from Boston Bacteria Meeting 2025 of our wonderful keynote speaker Dr. Petra Levin! Feat a thumbnail of this year's organizing committee this was made by my good friend, Dr. Claudette Gardel an alumna of the Beckwith lab who loves bacterial genetics & phages!
August 26, 2025 at 5:09 PM
A fun mosaic of the events of the day from Boston Bacteria Meeting 2025 of our wonderful keynote speaker Dr. Petra Levin! Feat a thumbnail of this year's organizing committee this was made by my good friend, Dr. Claudette Gardel an alumna of the Beckwith lab who loves bacterial genetics & phages!
Reposted by Liz Tan
New pre-print from Doudna lab members @erinedoherty.bsky.social & @jnoms.bsky.social ✨
Here we explore how recurrent adaptation of a single anti-defense protein fold enables evasion of distinct immune systems.
Here we explore how recurrent adaptation of a single anti-defense protein fold enables evasion of distinct immune systems.
Excited to share our new preprint co-led by @jnoms.bsky.social!
Here we reveal an exceptional diversity of viral 2H phosphodiesterases (PDEs) that enable immune evasion by selectively degrading oligonucleotide-based messengers. This 2H PDE fold has evolved striking substrate breath & specificity.
Here we reveal an exceptional diversity of viral 2H phosphodiesterases (PDEs) that enable immune evasion by selectively degrading oligonucleotide-based messengers. This 2H PDE fold has evolved striking substrate breath & specificity.
Divergent viral phosphodiesterases for immune signaling evasion
Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) and other short oligonucleotides play fundamental roles in immune system activation in organisms ranging from bacteria to humans. In response, viruses use phosphodiesterase...
www.biorxiv.org
August 22, 2025 at 7:36 PM
New pre-print from Doudna lab members @erinedoherty.bsky.social & @jnoms.bsky.social ✨
Here we explore how recurrent adaptation of a single anti-defense protein fold enables evasion of distinct immune systems.
Here we explore how recurrent adaptation of a single anti-defense protein fold enables evasion of distinct immune systems.
Reposted by Liz Tan
Delighted to be part of this collaboration with the Raman Lab at @uwmadison.bsky.social:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Systematic, high-throughput characterization of bacteriophage gene essentiality on diverse hosts
Understanding core and conditional gene essentiality is crucial for decoding genotype-phenotype relationships in organisms. We present phage high-thro…
www.sciencedirect.com
July 22, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Delighted to be part of this collaboration with the Raman Lab at @uwmadison.bsky.social:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Liz Tan
Reposted by Liz Tan
🧬Happy Transposon Day!
🎉Each year on the 16th of June we commemorate the birthdate of the founder of transposable element research, Barbara McClintock (1902-1992).
#TransposonDay2025 #MobileDNAjournal
🎉Each year on the 16th of June we commemorate the birthdate of the founder of transposable element research, Barbara McClintock (1902-1992).
#TransposonDay2025 #MobileDNAjournal
June 16, 2025 at 12:05 PM
🧬Happy Transposon Day!
🎉Each year on the 16th of June we commemorate the birthdate of the founder of transposable element research, Barbara McClintock (1902-1992).
#TransposonDay2025 #MobileDNAjournal
🎉Each year on the 16th of June we commemorate the birthdate of the founder of transposable element research, Barbara McClintock (1902-1992).
#TransposonDay2025 #MobileDNAjournal
Rest in beautiful harmonious peace, Brian Wilson! The single most influential and mainstay sound of my young adulthood was— the Beach Boys. Pet Sounds was incredibly spiritual & brought me so much joy and comfort. Wonderment, awe, resilience, and expansiveness are all solidly present in BWs music
June 11, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Rest in beautiful harmonious peace, Brian Wilson! The single most influential and mainstay sound of my young adulthood was— the Beach Boys. Pet Sounds was incredibly spiritual & brought me so much joy and comfort. Wonderment, awe, resilience, and expansiveness are all solidly present in BWs music
Had a blast Boston Bacteria Meeting this year! Thank you to all who attended 😎
Some highlights were the
1) Science for Public Good discussion session
2) amazing talks/posters from friends & colleagues
3) bacteriology trivia - so chaotic & so fun
4) seeing all the vibrio, phage &stress homies!
Some highlights were the
1) Science for Public Good discussion session
2) amazing talks/posters from friends & colleagues
3) bacteriology trivia - so chaotic & so fun
4) seeing all the vibrio, phage &stress homies!
June 11, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Had a blast Boston Bacteria Meeting this year! Thank you to all who attended 😎
Some highlights were the
1) Science for Public Good discussion session
2) amazing talks/posters from friends & colleagues
3) bacteriology trivia - so chaotic & so fun
4) seeing all the vibrio, phage &stress homies!
Some highlights were the
1) Science for Public Good discussion session
2) amazing talks/posters from friends & colleagues
3) bacteriology trivia - so chaotic & so fun
4) seeing all the vibrio, phage &stress homies!
Reposted by Liz Tan
@thedailynu.bsky.social Northwestern is still supporting our research despite not receiving any $ from active and new fundable grants. Definitely unsustainable and anxieties are piling up..
Funding freeze at Northwestern from Emma Mairson at
grant-watch.us. Data from USAspending. Normally, ~$70 M per month. Now, bupkis.
Northwestern is keeping research moving and must be spending ~$40 M per month. Clearly not sustainable for too long.
grant-watch.us. Data from USAspending. Normally, ~$70 M per month. Now, bupkis.
Northwestern is keeping research moving and must be spending ~$40 M per month. Clearly not sustainable for too long.
June 7, 2025 at 11:08 PM
@thedailynu.bsky.social Northwestern is still supporting our research despite not receiving any $ from active and new fundable grants. Definitely unsustainable and anxieties are piling up..
Congrats, Postdoc Greg aka PBP1 Greg!
In spite of the daily deluge of devastating news about science/the world, I’m excited to preprint some of my postdoc work (supported by an IRACDA grant-now terminated). Probing PBP1 function we uncovered unexpected features of the #Cdif #divisome 😄 We think it’s divisome could be a great drug target
Molecular dissection of Class A PBP function uncovers novel features of the non-canonical Clostridioides difficile divisome complex https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.29.656762v1
June 5, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Congrats, Postdoc Greg aka PBP1 Greg!
www.womenshistory.org/education-re...
Dr. Admiral Rachel Levine - from my hometown of Wakefield, MA! Pediatrician, psychiatrist, LGBTQ+ advocate, trans woman, and public health expert!
Dr. Admiral Rachel Levine - from my hometown of Wakefield, MA! Pediatrician, psychiatrist, LGBTQ+ advocate, trans woman, and public health expert!
Biography: Rachel Levine
Rachel Levine became the highest-ranking openly transgender government official in U.S. history when she was confirmed by the Senate as the 17th Assistant Secretary for Health in March 2021.
www.womenshistory.org
June 3, 2025 at 2:34 AM
www.womenshistory.org/education-re...
Dr. Admiral Rachel Levine - from my hometown of Wakefield, MA! Pediatrician, psychiatrist, LGBTQ+ advocate, trans woman, and public health expert!
Dr. Admiral Rachel Levine - from my hometown of Wakefield, MA! Pediatrician, psychiatrist, LGBTQ+ advocate, trans woman, and public health expert!
Reposted by Liz Tan
Phage DisCo! Our targeted phage discovery method in press today: journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Perfectly timed with our four summer undergrad's first successful phage hunt... disco lights in the lab to mark the occasion 🕺
Perfectly timed with our four summer undergrad's first successful phage hunt... disco lights in the lab to mark the occasion 🕺
May 28, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Phage DisCo! Our targeted phage discovery method in press today: journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Perfectly timed with our four summer undergrad's first successful phage hunt... disco lights in the lab to mark the occasion 🕺
Perfectly timed with our four summer undergrad's first successful phage hunt... disco lights in the lab to mark the occasion 🕺
Reposted by Liz Tan
I signed. You should too!
🚨 URGENT RESPONSE CALL 🚨
Trump’s Fool’s Gold Science EO is a dangerous sham.
It gives his appointees the power to dismiss entire bodies of research and punish researchers who fail to fall in line with his agenda.
We’ve launched an open letter.
SIGN & SHARE NOW: actionnetwork.org/petitions/op...
Trump’s Fool’s Gold Science EO is a dangerous sham.
It gives his appointees the power to dismiss entire bodies of research and punish researchers who fail to fall in line with his agenda.
We’ve launched an open letter.
SIGN & SHARE NOW: actionnetwork.org/petitions/op...
Sign The Open Letter to Stand Up For Science Now!
Science is under siege. Trump’s latest Executive Order calls for politically appointed science commissars to evaluate research. Join us in adding your name to our open letter condemning Trump’s escala...
actionnetwork.org
May 26, 2025 at 7:07 PM
I signed. You should too!
Dear scientists presenting at meetings this summer:
Let it be known if your own work, citations, or if funding cuts already happened- that was publically funded. Advocate for your science by addressing the influences of funding affected by today's politics and what gets lost when these are cut
Let it be known if your own work, citations, or if funding cuts already happened- that was publically funded. Advocate for your science by addressing the influences of funding affected by today's politics and what gets lost when these are cut
May 26, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Dear scientists presenting at meetings this summer:
Let it be known if your own work, citations, or if funding cuts already happened- that was publically funded. Advocate for your science by addressing the influences of funding affected by today's politics and what gets lost when these are cut
Let it be known if your own work, citations, or if funding cuts already happened- that was publically funded. Advocate for your science by addressing the influences of funding affected by today's politics and what gets lost when these are cut
Reposted by Liz Tan
🤯 Implications for OLE RNA as a natural integral membrane RNA from Ron Breaker's lab rnajournal.cshlp.org/content/earl...
May 23, 2025 at 8:21 PM
🤯 Implications for OLE RNA as a natural integral membrane RNA from Ron Breaker's lab rnajournal.cshlp.org/content/earl...
Freedom of speech, thought, and ideas are getting slashed in science! Don't wait on admins to respond to what's happening at Harvard- it'll be a while, so pack a lunch 🥪 🥤
Scientists as individuals can voice dissent to these actions now. Stand united. Check in on your people & communities!
Scientists as individuals can voice dissent to these actions now. Stand united. Check in on your people & communities!
May 23, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Freedom of speech, thought, and ideas are getting slashed in science! Don't wait on admins to respond to what's happening at Harvard- it'll be a while, so pack a lunch 🥪 🥤
Scientists as individuals can voice dissent to these actions now. Stand united. Check in on your people & communities!
Scientists as individuals can voice dissent to these actions now. Stand united. Check in on your people & communities!
Reposted by Liz Tan
America cannot long remain free, nor first among nations, if it becomes the kind of place where universities are dismantled because they don't align politically with the current head of the government.
May 23, 2025 at 4:00 PM
America cannot long remain free, nor first among nations, if it becomes the kind of place where universities are dismantled because they don't align politically with the current head of the government.
Reposted by Liz Tan
gonna be a sweet line up
May 14, 2025 at 8:41 PM
gonna be a sweet line up
Reposted by Liz Tan
Exciting news!! Our latest paper is out in Nat. Microbiol. @natmicrobiol.nature.com
We show that a sub-lineage of 7th pandemic V. cholerae has acquired mobile genetic elements packed with phage defense systems—rendering it multi-phage resistant 😳 ..... 1/3
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We show that a sub-lineage of 7th pandemic V. cholerae has acquired mobile genetic elements packed with phage defense systems—rendering it multi-phage resistant 😳 ..... 1/3
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
West African–South American pandemic Vibrio cholerae encodes multiple distinct phage defence systems - Nature Microbiology
The West African–South American lineage of Vibrio cholerae contains multiple distinct anti-phage defence systems that provide resistance to various phage families, including vibriophage ICP1, a key pr...
www.nature.com
May 22, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Exciting news!! Our latest paper is out in Nat. Microbiol. @natmicrobiol.nature.com
We show that a sub-lineage of 7th pandemic V. cholerae has acquired mobile genetic elements packed with phage defense systems—rendering it multi-phage resistant 😳 ..... 1/3
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We show that a sub-lineage of 7th pandemic V. cholerae has acquired mobile genetic elements packed with phage defense systems—rendering it multi-phage resistant 😳 ..... 1/3
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Liz Tan
Coming soon!! Thrilled to announce that the Bourgeois Lab will be launching at WPI. We will leverage natural diversity to understand Borrelia burgdorferi transmission and Lyme disease manifestations. We are hiring at all levels so please reach out!
bourgeoislabworcester.wordpress.com
bourgeoislabworcester.wordpress.com
April 4, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Coming soon!! Thrilled to announce that the Bourgeois Lab will be launching at WPI. We will leverage natural diversity to understand Borrelia burgdorferi transmission and Lyme disease manifestations. We are hiring at all levels so please reach out!
bourgeoislabworcester.wordpress.com
bourgeoislabworcester.wordpress.com
Reposted by Liz Tan
One more day to submit your abstracts!
The BBM abstract deadline is fast approaching! Make sure you submit your abstract by this Friday, April 4th!! 👨🏽💻🦠
April 3, 2025 at 1:02 PM
One more day to submit your abstracts!