Patrick R. Secor
banner
prsecor.bsky.social
Patrick R. Secor
@prsecor.bsky.social
Associate Professor at Montana State University. Studying bacteria and their viruses with a focus on phage-host-microbe interactions.

Lab Website: https://secorlab.org

Faculty profile:
https://www.montana.edu/mbi/directory/2553333/patrick-secor
Reposted by Patrick R. Secor
New lab paper!

Andrew Frando describes how MexT alters the quorum sensing cascade in P. aeruginosa. /1

With Nicole Smalley; two undergraduates, Jamal Omar and Bobby Parsek; and @dezieleric.bsky.social, @mariecg.bsky.social, and Mylène Trottier at INRS in Montreal

journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Modulation of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum sensing cascade by MexT-regulated factors | mBio
Bacteria interact with both abiotic and biotic factors in their environment. Quorum sensing (QS) is one mechanism that bacteria use to communicate with other bacteria and coordinate behaviors in the p...
journals.asm.org
October 23, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Reposted by Patrick R. Secor
For what it’s worth, The Wyoming Worm lab has funding for 5 years along with exciting projects with solid foundations. We are is still looking for capable, dedicated, and fun-to-work-with lab members at all career stages. davidfay@uwyo.edu

scholar.google.com/citations?us...
October 22, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Reposted by Patrick R. Secor
1/10 Genome maintenance by telomerase is a fundamental process in nearly all eukaryotes. But where does it come from?

Today, we report the discovery of telomerase homologs in a family of antiviral RTs, revealing an unexpected evolutionary origin in bacteria.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Antiviral reverse transcriptases reveal the evolutionary origin of telomerase
Defense-associated reverse transcriptases (DRTs) employ diverse and distinctive mechanisms of cDNA synthesis to protect bacteria against viral infection. However, much of DRT family diversity remains ...
www.biorxiv.org
October 17, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Reposted by Patrick R. Secor
Our Department of Microbiology & Immunology at UCSF is running a faculty search this year for a new Assistant Professor! Please see the ad below for details. Searching for a great colleague, mentor, and scientist!
aprecruit.ucsf.edu/JPF05807
Microbiology and Immunology – Faculty Position (Ladder Rank) – Assistant Professor
University of California, San Francisco is hiring. Apply now!
aprecruit.ucsf.edu
September 25, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Reposted by Patrick R. Secor
🚨 Microbiologists! We are recruiting Assistant / Associate Professors in 3 collaborative areas of our U. Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
1) MMG (my dept): fundamental research in med micro
2) Peds ID / I4Kids institute
3) Center for Vaccine Research
🔗 to all 3 w/info: www.linkedin.com/posts/vaughn...
Faculty Professor Associate - Full-Time | Vaughn Cooper
We are recruiting Faculty microbiologists in three (3) different, complementary, and collaborative areas at the University of Pittsburgh associated with the School of Medicine. 1) Fundamental researc...
www.linkedin.com
September 23, 2025 at 10:31 PM
My kids “pet”
September 17, 2025 at 2:02 AM
Reposted by Patrick R. Secor
🚨Job alert!🚨

We are looking for a new lab manager to join our group at the University of Oregon! Applicants with experience in microbiology, evolutionary genetics, or protein biochemistry are especially encouraged to apply. See the link below for more information: barberlab.org/contact/
Contact
View of the University of Oregon campus from nearby Hendricks Park Lab Address:322 Pacific Hall5289 University of OregonEugene, OR 97403 Lab Phone:541-346-1537 Joining the lab Lab Manager: We are c…
barberlab.org
September 12, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Fall is creeping into the foothills. Montana State University viewed from the south looking north
August 30, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Reposted by Patrick R. Secor
If you are a postdoc working on any topic related to environmental microbiology and are looking for exposure, the Thermal Biology Institute (tbi.montana.edu) has slots open for virtual talks via zoom this fall. Email me if you are interested! Seminars are most Mondays, 3-4 pm Mountain Time.
Thermal Biology Institute - Default | Montana State University
Index to the Thermal Biology Institute's website.
tbi.montana.edu
August 6, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Reposted by Patrick R. Secor
Our Pitt Microbiology and Molecular Genetics department in the School of Medicine is recruiting..

Microbiologists! 🧫🦠🔬🧪

Please apply to join our faculty and enjoy these views 👀 while doing great science

cfopitt.taleo.net/careersectio...
August 21, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Reposted by Patrick R. Secor
Excited to share the latest work by outstanding PhD student @kdc509.bsky.social. This was one of our first forays into experimental evolution and uncovered some cool connections between potassium transport and antimicrobial resistance in S. aureus. Major kudos to Killian!
Evolution of polyamine resistance in Staphylococcus aureus through modulation of potassium transport | mSphere
Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of infectious disease-related deaths globally. Understanding factors that govern adaptation and survival of S. aureus and other pathogens in the host environme...
journals.asm.org
August 22, 2025 at 6:37 PM
My Far Side comic on the lab door is tripping people up. Pull hard!
August 22, 2025 at 9:38 PM
I am also looking forward to this conference. Submit an abstract if you haven’t already!
August 12, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Some Bluesky microbes for you
#microsky
August 8, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Reposted by Patrick R. Secor
Sharing this Pitt article about my helping to lead ASM because it shares my hopes for the scientific and societal good we can do.

We are all population biologists, whether or not we know it, and this can enrich us.

www.medschool.pitt.edu/news/pitt-s-...
Pitt’s Vaughn Cooper to Serve as President-Elect of the American Society for Microbiology | School of Medicine | University of Pittsburgh
By Kat Procyk Photography by Rayni Shiring/University of Pittsburgh Vaughn Cooper, professor of microbiology and molecular genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, began his new role as ...
www.medschool.pitt.edu
August 6, 2025 at 2:16 AM
Laura chaired a great session on the biofilm matrix! #MicroSky
Grateful to talk about the biofilm matrix at the Montana Biofilm Meeting and connect with an amazing group of scientists.
August 5, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Today along the banks of the Yellowstone River
August 2, 2025 at 2:47 AM
Reposted by Patrick R. Secor
Metal ions are universally required for life, and many of the foundational principles of metal homeostasis have emerged from studies of microbial systems. In this review, I provide a introductory overview targeted to those new to the field.
#MicroSky #Metals

rdcu.be/eycU2
Microbial metal physiology: ions to ecosystems
Nature Reviews Microbiology - Metal ions are required for all cells, and their homeostasis relies on ancient mechanisms that facilitate their import, distribution and storage. In this Review,...
rdcu.be
July 28, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Happy to report that both my house and I survived the weekend 🪚
July 28, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Reposted by Patrick R. Secor
Still open for applications! We are looking for prospective new faculty doing exciting research in virology or any vector borne diseases
The Wadsworth Center is expanding it's research focus on #virology /vector-borne diseases!
www.asmcareerconnections.org/job/research-scientist-5-g-31/78488664/
This is a unicorn assistant prof equivalent position with 12-month hard money salary and no teaching commitments (!)
Reposts appreciated 🙏
July 25, 2025 at 11:04 PM
July 25, 2025 at 7:56 PM
We took the day off from the lab and spent all day in Paradise Valley, Montana on the Yellowstone River
July 25, 2025 at 1:36 AM
Reposted by Patrick R. Secor
Here's our new broad review on the extended mobility of plasmids, about all mechanisms driving and limiting their transfer. From conjugation to conduction, phage-plasmids to hitchers, molecular to evolutionary dynamics, ecology to biotech. The state of affairs. 1/9 academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
July 23, 2025 at 7:35 AM
Reposted by Patrick R. Secor
POSTDOC🚨
With the excellent @anshika22.bsky.social moving to UCI 🥲Anna Zemke and I are again recruiting a postdoc on the HOST-PATHOGEN BIOLOGY of TRACHEOBRONCHITIS. This is a microbiome-device-host immunity problem of broad significance.

Contact Dr. Zemke (zemkea at upmc dot edu) if interested! 👇🏻
July 17, 2025 at 8:04 PM