Pierre Millard
@pierremillard.bsky.social
Systems biologist at Toulouse Biotechnology Institute, INRAE, France
Member of MetaboHub consortium
❓️ Focus on microbial metabolism for biotechnology and health
🛠 Main tools: modeling, fluxomics, metabolomics, isotope-based approaches
Member of MetaboHub consortium
❓️ Focus on microbial metabolism for biotechnology and health
🛠 Main tools: modeling, fluxomics, metabolomics, isotope-based approaches
Pinned
Pierre Millard
@pierremillard.bsky.social
· Sep 14
In our new review, we revisit overflow #metabolism across living organisms and propose universal principles of its functioning, integrating insights from studies on yeast, bacterial, and mammalian cells 🦠✨
First first-author paper of Thomas Gosselin-Monplaisir 🥳
👉 Read it here: urlr.me/82Zspc
First first-author paper of Thomas Gosselin-Monplaisir 🥳
👉 Read it here: urlr.me/82Zspc
Reposted by Pierre Millard
Why fundamental research is fundamental to progress, seeding major breakthroughs
Editorial @nature.com this week
And 7 basic science discoveries that changed the world
nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com/articles/d41...
Editorial @nature.com this week
And 7 basic science discoveries that changed the world
nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com/articles/d41...
October 29, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Why fundamental research is fundamental to progress, seeding major breakthroughs
Editorial @nature.com this week
And 7 basic science discoveries that changed the world
nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com/articles/d41...
Editorial @nature.com this week
And 7 basic science discoveries that changed the world
nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Pierre Millard
Cool enzyme specificity predictor🦠✨! Build on >300k enzyme-substrate pairs (UniProt, BRENDA, literature), combining ESM-2 embeddings and GNNs to model atom–residue interactions. In one test (34 E. coli metabolites × 860 enzymes), it correctly matched 10! #microsky 🧪 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Enzyme specificity prediction using cross attention graph neural networks - Nature
Nature - Enzyme specificity prediction using cross attention graph neural networks
www.nature.com
October 23, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Cool enzyme specificity predictor🦠✨! Build on >300k enzyme-substrate pairs (UniProt, BRENDA, literature), combining ESM-2 embeddings and GNNs to model atom–residue interactions. In one test (34 E. coli metabolites × 860 enzymes), it correctly matched 10! #microsky 🧪 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Pierre Millard
Domesticated animals have pulled our heavy carts and turned our large mills for centuries. But what about the opposite end of the spectrum—what if the wheel you want to turn is so small you can’t see it?
Turns out we can harness the power of bacteria to power the world’s smallest machines.
1/7 ⚛️🧪
Turns out we can harness the power of bacteria to power the world’s smallest machines.
1/7 ⚛️🧪
October 26, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Domesticated animals have pulled our heavy carts and turned our large mills for centuries. But what about the opposite end of the spectrum—what if the wheel you want to turn is so small you can’t see it?
Turns out we can harness the power of bacteria to power the world’s smallest machines.
1/7 ⚛️🧪
Turns out we can harness the power of bacteria to power the world’s smallest machines.
1/7 ⚛️🧪
Reposted by Pierre Millard
How can we design complex computational systems using synthetic biology? Check our paper, where we use space as a computational element, dramatically reducing communication requirements while allowing modularity, reusability, scalability & minimal cell engineering.
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
October 26, 2025 at 8:08 PM
How can we design complex computational systems using synthetic biology? Check our paper, where we use space as a computational element, dramatically reducing communication requirements while allowing modularity, reusability, scalability & minimal cell engineering.
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...
Reposted by Pierre Millard
Cell-Free-Based Thermophilic Biocatalyst for the Synthesis of Amino Acids from One-Carbon Feedstocks
doi.org/10.1021/acss...
doi.org/10.1021/acss...
Cell-Free-Based Thermophilic Biocatalyst for the Synthesis of Amino Acids from One-Carbon Feedstocks
Bioproduction from one-carbon compounds, such as formate, is an attractive prospect due to reduced energy requirements and the possibility for using CO2 as a sustainable feedstock. Formate-fixing path...
doi.org
October 20, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Cell-Free-Based Thermophilic Biocatalyst for the Synthesis of Amino Acids from One-Carbon Feedstocks
doi.org/10.1021/acss...
doi.org/10.1021/acss...
Reposted by Pierre Millard
How can biological systems anticipate future events? In our new paper with @jordiplam.bsky.social, we show how a simple genetic circuit can predict future trends through a simple (and perhaps widespread) mechanism @drmichaellevin.bsky.social @koseskalab.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
April 28, 2025 at 10:42 PM
How can biological systems anticipate future events? In our new paper with @jordiplam.bsky.social, we show how a simple genetic circuit can predict future trends through a simple (and perhaps widespread) mechanism @drmichaellevin.bsky.social @koseskalab.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Pierre Millard
🚀 Thrilled to share our new Nature Communications article:
“A blueprint for designing the next-generation of synthetic C1 microbes”
We propose a framework to unlock sustainable, carbon-efficient biomanufacturing using non-canonical hosts.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41... A short 🧵1/4
“A blueprint for designing the next-generation of synthetic C1 microbes”
We propose a framework to unlock sustainable, carbon-efficient biomanufacturing using non-canonical hosts.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41... A short 🧵1/4
A blueprint for designing the next-generation of synthetic C1 microbes - Nature Communications
Synthetic one-carbon assimilation could contribute to a more sustainable and circular carbon economy, but much work in this field has focused on model microorganisms. Here the authors provide their perspective on the potential value of non-model microbes, and how that potential could be realised.
www.nature.com
October 8, 2025 at 9:10 AM
🚀 Thrilled to share our new Nature Communications article:
“A blueprint for designing the next-generation of synthetic C1 microbes”
We propose a framework to unlock sustainable, carbon-efficient biomanufacturing using non-canonical hosts.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41... A short 🧵1/4
“A blueprint for designing the next-generation of synthetic C1 microbes”
We propose a framework to unlock sustainable, carbon-efficient biomanufacturing using non-canonical hosts.
🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41... A short 🧵1/4
Reposted by Pierre Millard
For 25 years, the Chair of the @laskerfdn.bsky.social Jury has reflected on the intersection of science and art in an annual essay. This year, Joseph L. Goldstein explores “From simplicity to complexity: A path to innovation in science and art.” Read now: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
October 6, 2025 at 5:39 PM
For 25 years, the Chair of the @laskerfdn.bsky.social Jury has reflected on the intersection of science and art in an annual essay. This year, Joseph L. Goldstein explores “From simplicity to complexity: A path to innovation in science and art.” Read now: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Pierre Millard
Suite à la migration de scientifiques et d'universitaires de X, Bluesky est devenue une l'une des alternatives.
Afin d'évaluer sa viabilité/pertinence pour la communication scientifique, cette étude présente une analyse à grande échelle de la diffusion d'articles scientifiques sur Bluesky.
1/5
Afin d'évaluer sa viabilité/pertinence pour la communication scientifique, cette étude présente une analyse à grande échelle de la diffusion d'articles scientifiques sur Bluesky.
1/5
September 24, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Suite à la migration de scientifiques et d'universitaires de X, Bluesky est devenue une l'une des alternatives.
Afin d'évaluer sa viabilité/pertinence pour la communication scientifique, cette étude présente une analyse à grande échelle de la diffusion d'articles scientifiques sur Bluesky.
1/5
Afin d'évaluer sa viabilité/pertinence pour la communication scientifique, cette étude présente une analyse à grande échelle de la diffusion d'articles scientifiques sur Bluesky.
1/5
Reposted by Pierre Millard
Microbial communities can harbor many species that do not coexist in pairs, yet can coexist in the full community. Here we provide the mathematical foundations of emergent coexistence, and explain why it can't be predicted from pairwise tests www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
May 20, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Microbial communities can harbor many species that do not coexist in pairs, yet can coexist in the full community. Here we provide the mathematical foundations of emergent coexistence, and explain why it can't be predicted from pairwise tests www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Pierre Millard
Cool! Some gut microbes make 2-MiCit from propionate. In vitro, it inhibits 3D colon tumor growth (and normal cells at high dose). Just a 'lucky' one among millions of microbial by-products? I haven't thought of any selective advantage 🤔 Thoughts? 🦠🧪 #microsky #microbiomesky doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...
September 17, 2025 at 4:17 AM
Cool! Some gut microbes make 2-MiCit from propionate. In vitro, it inhibits 3D colon tumor growth (and normal cells at high dose). Just a 'lucky' one among millions of microbial by-products? I haven't thought of any selective advantage 🤔 Thoughts? 🦠🧪 #microsky #microbiomesky doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...
Reposted by Pierre Millard
🥁 Check out our new preprint on OmniPath, the prior knowledge resource for #SystemsBiology, and its brand-new OmniPath Explorer web app! 🥳
📖 Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🔍 Explorer: explore.omnipathdb.org
OmniPath integrates 160+ resources for multi-omics analysis & modeling.
🧶⬇️
📖 Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🔍 Explorer: explore.omnipathdb.org
OmniPath integrates 160+ resources for multi-omics analysis & modeling.
🧶⬇️
September 17, 2025 at 1:10 PM
🥁 Check out our new preprint on OmniPath, the prior knowledge resource for #SystemsBiology, and its brand-new OmniPath Explorer web app! 🥳
📖 Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🔍 Explorer: explore.omnipathdb.org
OmniPath integrates 160+ resources for multi-omics analysis & modeling.
🧶⬇️
📖 Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🔍 Explorer: explore.omnipathdb.org
OmniPath integrates 160+ resources for multi-omics analysis & modeling.
🧶⬇️
Reposted by Pierre Millard
Thrilled to share our new paper in @science.org describing our discovery that bacteria can switch from competitors to bonafide predators when resources run dry—arming nanoscale “spears” (T6SS) to stab & consume neighbours.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#MicroSKy #Microbiology
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#MicroSKy #Microbiology
Antagonism as a foraging strategy in microbial communities
In natural habitats, nutrient availability limits bacterial growth. We discovered that bacteria can overcome this limitation by acquiring nutrients by lysing neighboring cells through contact-dependen...
www.science.org
June 13, 2025 at 5:39 AM
Thrilled to share our new paper in @science.org describing our discovery that bacteria can switch from competitors to bonafide predators when resources run dry—arming nanoscale “spears” (T6SS) to stab & consume neighbours.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#MicroSKy #Microbiology
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#MicroSKy #Microbiology
Reposted by Pierre Millard
Congrats Snorre!!! 👏 It's great to see this coming out 🎉
and thank you for giving the chance to be a (small) part of this very cool work!
"Microbes release lower-value metabolites at higher rates" 🦠
and thank you for giving the chance to be a (small) part of this very cool work!
"Microbes release lower-value metabolites at higher rates" 🦠
Excited to share the first results from my postdoc at @dmf-unil.bsky.social with @saramitri.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Microbes release lower-value metabolites at higher rates
Microbes release a wide range of metabolites into their environment, yet the reasons for this release and the factors that influence release rates are not well understood. Here, using a combination of...
www.biorxiv.org
August 20, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Congrats Snorre!!! 👏 It's great to see this coming out 🎉
and thank you for giving the chance to be a (small) part of this very cool work!
"Microbes release lower-value metabolites at higher rates" 🦠
and thank you for giving the chance to be a (small) part of this very cool work!
"Microbes release lower-value metabolites at higher rates" 🦠
Reposted by Pierre Millard
I've only read the abstract and I already know this paper is so very correct 👀
September 14, 2025 at 3:06 AM
I've only read the abstract and I already know this paper is so very correct 👀
In our new review, we revisit overflow #metabolism across living organisms and propose universal principles of its functioning, integrating insights from studies on yeast, bacterial, and mammalian cells 🦠✨
First first-author paper of Thomas Gosselin-Monplaisir 🥳
👉 Read it here: urlr.me/82Zspc
First first-author paper of Thomas Gosselin-Monplaisir 🥳
👉 Read it here: urlr.me/82Zspc
September 14, 2025 at 9:24 PM
In our new review, we revisit overflow #metabolism across living organisms and propose universal principles of its functioning, integrating insights from studies on yeast, bacterial, and mammalian cells 🦠✨
First first-author paper of Thomas Gosselin-Monplaisir 🥳
👉 Read it here: urlr.me/82Zspc
First first-author paper of Thomas Gosselin-Monplaisir 🥳
👉 Read it here: urlr.me/82Zspc
Reposted by Pierre Millard
Polysomes and mRNA control the biophysical properties of the eukaryotic cytoplasm
Polysomes and mRNA control the biophysical properties of the eukaryotic cytoplasm
Gade et al. report that polysomes and mRNA levels impact the biophysical properties of the cytoplasm. Using passive rheology probes and single-particle tracking, they demonstrate that intracellular diffusion is enhanced when polysomes are disassembled or when mRNA levels are reduced in eukaryotic cells.
dlvr.it
September 7, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Polysomes and mRNA control the biophysical properties of the eukaryotic cytoplasm
Reposted by Pierre Millard
A plasmid golden ratio? 🧬
Plasmid copy number ≈ 2.5% of chromosome size—consistent across bacterial species!
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC... @jerorb.bsky.social
🧪 #microbesky
Plasmid copy number ≈ 2.5% of chromosome size—consistent across bacterial species!
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC... @jerorb.bsky.social
🧪 #microbesky
September 9, 2025 at 3:54 AM
A plasmid golden ratio? 🧬
Plasmid copy number ≈ 2.5% of chromosome size—consistent across bacterial species!
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC... @jerorb.bsky.social
🧪 #microbesky
Plasmid copy number ≈ 2.5% of chromosome size—consistent across bacterial species!
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC... @jerorb.bsky.social
🧪 #microbesky
Reposted by Pierre Millard
Can a single cell learn? Even without a brain, some microbes show simple forms of cognition. Can this basal cognition be engineered? Check our new paper with @jordiplam.bsky.social on the minimal synthetic circuits & their cognitive limits. @drmichaellevin.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
September 10, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Can a single cell learn? Even without a brain, some microbes show simple forms of cognition. Can this basal cognition be engineered? Check our new paper with @jordiplam.bsky.social on the minimal synthetic circuits & their cognitive limits. @drmichaellevin.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Pierre Millard
I'm going to be advertising for a few positions in my group in the next couple of months for a big project on synthetic microbial communities.
I would love to hear from you if you are interested and I'd also appreciate if everyone could share this far and wide!
I would love to hear from you if you are interested and I'd also appreciate if everyone could share this far and wide!
August 13, 2025 at 9:35 AM
I'm going to be advertising for a few positions in my group in the next couple of months for a big project on synthetic microbial communities.
I would love to hear from you if you are interested and I'd also appreciate if everyone could share this far and wide!
I would love to hear from you if you are interested and I'd also appreciate if everyone could share this far and wide!
Reposted by Pierre Millard
Sub-cellular chemical mapping in bacteria using correlated cryogenic electron and mass spectrometry imaging
Congrats Hannah Ochner and authors on this important paper! Strong collaboration with @kiranrpatil.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
@mrclmb.bsky.social @wellcometrust.bsky.social
Congrats Hannah Ochner and authors on this important paper! Strong collaboration with @kiranrpatil.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
@mrclmb.bsky.social @wellcometrust.bsky.social
August 31, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Sub-cellular chemical mapping in bacteria using correlated cryogenic electron and mass spectrometry imaging
Congrats Hannah Ochner and authors on this important paper! Strong collaboration with @kiranrpatil.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
@mrclmb.bsky.social @wellcometrust.bsky.social
Congrats Hannah Ochner and authors on this important paper! Strong collaboration with @kiranrpatil.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
@mrclmb.bsky.social @wellcometrust.bsky.social
Reposted by Pierre Millard
Please repost!
Postdoc in adaptive laboratory evolution and C1 synthetic metabolism!
Location: DTU Biosustain
🦠🧬🔬
Starting in 01/2026!
Fell free to reach out if you have questions!
efzu.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
Postdoc in adaptive laboratory evolution and C1 synthetic metabolism!
Location: DTU Biosustain
🦠🧬🔬
Starting in 01/2026!
Fell free to reach out if you have questions!
efzu.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
efzu.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com
September 12, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Please repost!
Postdoc in adaptive laboratory evolution and C1 synthetic metabolism!
Location: DTU Biosustain
🦠🧬🔬
Starting in 01/2026!
Fell free to reach out if you have questions!
efzu.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
Postdoc in adaptive laboratory evolution and C1 synthetic metabolism!
Location: DTU Biosustain
🦠🧬🔬
Starting in 01/2026!
Fell free to reach out if you have questions!
efzu.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
Reposted by Pierre Millard
Je pense à ce fil depuis hier, et je me posais la question de ce que ça implique pour les efforts d'apprendre la programmation et ou l'algorithmique aux non spécialistes.
My two cents after two months of AI-assisted programming.
Agile methods are going to lose ground, and we’ll go back to requirement documents and specifications/designs carefully tied up in advance.
And this poses an educational challenge.
Agile methods are going to lose ground, and we’ll go back to requirement documents and specifications/designs carefully tied up in advance.
And this poses an educational challenge.
a black and white photo of a boy with the caption dude copilot is so goo- shut up get out of my head
ALT: a black and white photo of a boy with the caption dude copilot is so goo- shut up get out of my head
media.tenor.com
September 14, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Je pense à ce fil depuis hier, et je me posais la question de ce que ça implique pour les efforts d'apprendre la programmation et ou l'algorithmique aux non spécialistes.
Reposted by Pierre Millard
Regulation by RNAs might be even more extensive than we thought. Many enzymes and other proteins not previously considered as RNA-binding proteins do seem to fall into this class & might have their activity regulated by RNA.
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Rethinking RNA-binding proteins: Riboregulation challenges prevailing views
The advent of system-wide proteomic approaches has largely expanded the number of
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). This review discusses how recent discoveries are transforming
our understanding of biolog...
www.cell.com
September 5, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Regulation by RNAs might be even more extensive than we thought. Many enzymes and other proteins not previously considered as RNA-binding proteins do seem to fall into this class & might have their activity regulated by RNA.
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...