Rachel Gregor
@rachelgregor.bsky.social
Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto in Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry. Fascinated by microbes and their chemistry. https://www.gregorlab.com/
Pinned
Rachel Gregor
@rachelgregor.bsky.social
· Aug 25
Vitamin auxotrophies shape microbial community assembly on model marine particles
Abstract. Microbial community assembly is governed by the flow of carbon sources and other primary metabolites between species. However, central metabolism
doi.org
🌊🦠🧪 Delighted to share this work now out in @isme-microbes.bsky.social: doi.org/10.1093/isme... The currency of microbial life is chemistry, but there’s so much still unknown about how metabolic interactions shape communities. 1/
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
With much gratitude to everyone who supported the wonderful #STAMPS summer course at the MBL, I share that STAMPS will not be offered in 2026.
💔😿
💔😿
November 11, 2025 at 1:05 AM
With much gratitude to everyone who supported the wonderful #STAMPS summer course at the MBL, I share that STAMPS will not be offered in 2026.
💔😿
💔😿
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
Bluetorial-Jim Watson
I met Jim Watson a few times but did not know him well. However, I was greatly influenced by his book “The Double Helix”. He was a complicated human being with some very, very bad features, but some good contributions.
What follows is my personal perspective.
1/41
I met Jim Watson a few times but did not know him well. However, I was greatly influenced by his book “The Double Helix”. He was a complicated human being with some very, very bad features, but some good contributions.
What follows is my personal perspective.
1/41
a cartoon says hey everybody an old man 's talking while bart simpson looks on
ALT: a cartoon says hey everybody an old man 's talking while bart simpson looks on
media.tenor.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Bluetorial-Jim Watson
I met Jim Watson a few times but did not know him well. However, I was greatly influenced by his book “The Double Helix”. He was a complicated human being with some very, very bad features, but some good contributions.
What follows is my personal perspective.
1/41
I met Jim Watson a few times but did not know him well. However, I was greatly influenced by his book “The Double Helix”. He was a complicated human being with some very, very bad features, but some good contributions.
What follows is my personal perspective.
1/41
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
On the event of James Watson's death, I highly recommend this 2023 commentary from @matthewcobb.bsky.social and Nathaniel Comfort with crucial new insights into the discovery of the double helix. (And also check out Cobb's brand new biography of Francis Crick) www.nature.com/articles/d41...
What Rosalind Franklin truly contributed to the discovery of DNA’s structure
Franklin was no victim in how the DNA double helix was solved. An overlooked letter and an unpublished news article, both written in 1953, reveal that she was an equal player.
www.nature.com
November 7, 2025 at 9:25 PM
On the event of James Watson's death, I highly recommend this 2023 commentary from @matthewcobb.bsky.social and Nathaniel Comfort with crucial new insights into the discovery of the double helix. (And also check out Cobb's brand new biography of Francis Crick) www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
Can we leverage bacterial competition for targeted replacement of harmful strains? Maybe! Our recent piece in @natmicrobiol.nature.com provides a theoretical framework and a set of experiments to show what it might take: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Strain displacement in microbiomes via ecological competition - Nature Microbiology
Mathematical modelling and experimental tests reveal principles that govern displacement of a resident strain by an invader in microbial communities.
www.nature.com
November 7, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Can we leverage bacterial competition for targeted replacement of harmful strains? Maybe! Our recent piece in @natmicrobiol.nature.com provides a theoretical framework and a set of experiments to show what it might take: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
Preprint: Bacteria sense virus-induced genome degradation via methylated mononucleotides
tinyurl.com/ch3damp
We show how molecular byproducts released during virus-induced cell exploitation are used as signals to trigger host immunity
Revealed by the amazing Ilya Osterman. See his thread below👇
tinyurl.com/ch3damp
We show how molecular byproducts released during virus-induced cell exploitation are used as signals to trigger host immunity
Revealed by the amazing Ilya Osterman. See his thread below👇
November 6, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Preprint: Bacteria sense virus-induced genome degradation via methylated mononucleotides
tinyurl.com/ch3damp
We show how molecular byproducts released during virus-induced cell exploitation are used as signals to trigger host immunity
Revealed by the amazing Ilya Osterman. See his thread below👇
tinyurl.com/ch3damp
We show how molecular byproducts released during virus-induced cell exploitation are used as signals to trigger host immunity
Revealed by the amazing Ilya Osterman. See his thread below👇
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
The ocean’s got rhythm — and so do its viruses.
With the Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series (BATS), we dove deep — every 4 to 12 hours — to see how viral populations swing through day and night.
With the Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series (BATS), we dove deep — every 4 to 12 hours — to see how viral populations swing through day and night.
November 5, 2025 at 3:01 PM
The ocean’s got rhythm — and so do its viruses.
With the Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series (BATS), we dove deep — every 4 to 12 hours — to see how viral populations swing through day and night.
With the Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series (BATS), we dove deep — every 4 to 12 hours — to see how viral populations swing through day and night.
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
We are recruiting new faculty in IMES at MIT!
IMES (Institute for Medical Engineering and Science) is the MIT home of the famous HST program. As faculty are also appointed in a department at MIT, we have diverse research programs, all focused on human health.
faculty-searches.mit.edu/imes-search/
IMES (Institute for Medical Engineering and Science) is the MIT home of the famous HST program. As faculty are also appointed in a department at MIT, we have diverse research programs, all focused on human health.
faculty-searches.mit.edu/imes-search/
MIT Faculty Searches MIT INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE FACULTY SEARCH
faculty-searches.mit.edu
October 14, 2025 at 8:07 PM
We are recruiting new faculty in IMES at MIT!
IMES (Institute for Medical Engineering and Science) is the MIT home of the famous HST program. As faculty are also appointed in a department at MIT, we have diverse research programs, all focused on human health.
faculty-searches.mit.edu/imes-search/
IMES (Institute for Medical Engineering and Science) is the MIT home of the famous HST program. As faculty are also appointed in a department at MIT, we have diverse research programs, all focused on human health.
faculty-searches.mit.edu/imes-search/
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
The ocean plays an important role in locking away carbon from the atmosphere. A new imaging system developed by @cadurkin.bsky.social and team provides real-time observations of the tiny particles of marine snow that drive carbon storage in the deep sea.
Learn more: www.mbari.org/news/new-mba...
Learn more: www.mbari.org/news/new-mba...
New MBARI technology reveals ocean carbon storage in real time • MBARI
SINKER is an innovative new instrument equipped with advanced microscopes and cameras to collect detailed data about carbon sinking in marine snow.
www.mbari.org
October 29, 2025 at 9:16 PM
The ocean plays an important role in locking away carbon from the atmosphere. A new imaging system developed by @cadurkin.bsky.social and team provides real-time observations of the tiny particles of marine snow that drive carbon storage in the deep sea.
Learn more: www.mbari.org/news/new-mba...
Learn more: www.mbari.org/news/new-mba...
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
Whatever strategy you’re about to suggest, we’ve thought about it. docs.google.com/document/d/1...
ChatGPT Harm Reduction for Writing Assignments
ChatGPT Harm Reduction for Writing Assignments Because this document has escaped containment, a couple points of explanation. I wrote this for myself and a few colleagues as we work out how to handle...
docs.google.com
October 28, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Whatever strategy you’re about to suggest, we’ve thought about it. docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
Do you want to do a Masters in Evolutionary Biology? The call for applying to the MEME program is now open! MEME is a fantastic 2-year MSc between four European Universities on all areas of Evolutionary Biology. Apply and study in Sweden/France/the Netherlands/Germany/USA/Switzerland! www.evobio.eu
October 24, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Do you want to do a Masters in Evolutionary Biology? The call for applying to the MEME program is now open! MEME is a fantastic 2-year MSc between four European Universities on all areas of Evolutionary Biology. Apply and study in Sweden/France/the Netherlands/Germany/USA/Switzerland! www.evobio.eu
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
PhD project available on Marine Microbe Interactions During Macromolecule Degradation available via NERC-TREES-DTP. Applicants will go through a selection/interview process within the program. Apps due Dec. 17th. Please feel free to contact me if interested! www.trees-dla.ac.uk/projects/mar...
Marine microbe interactions and processes during simultaneous degradation of organic macromolecules | TREES DLA
Marine microbes play critical roles in global ocean biogeochemical cycles as primary degraders of organic matter, especially by degrading and recycling abundant macromolecules like polysaccharides, li...
www.trees-dla.ac.uk
October 21, 2025 at 11:29 AM
PhD project available on Marine Microbe Interactions During Macromolecule Degradation available via NERC-TREES-DTP. Applicants will go through a selection/interview process within the program. Apps due Dec. 17th. Please feel free to contact me if interested! www.trees-dla.ac.uk/projects/mar...
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
Let's talk -80 freezers:
Recommendations? Dis-recommendations?
What do you suggest prioritising and why?
Bonus points if you have input on buying one in Europe.
* photo of Muffin for cat tax
Recommendations? Dis-recommendations?
What do you suggest prioritising and why?
Bonus points if you have input on buying one in Europe.
* photo of Muffin for cat tax
October 21, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Let's talk -80 freezers:
Recommendations? Dis-recommendations?
What do you suggest prioritising and why?
Bonus points if you have input on buying one in Europe.
* photo of Muffin for cat tax
Recommendations? Dis-recommendations?
What do you suggest prioritising and why?
Bonus points if you have input on buying one in Europe.
* photo of Muffin for cat tax
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
Great new postdoc fellowship for foundational plant research.
If you’re into genetics and genomics of plant reproductive evolution or adaptive convergence (incl in the cool and charismatic nightshades!) I’d be happy to talk about possible projects!
www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons...
If you’re into genetics and genomics of plant reproductive evolution or adaptive convergence (incl in the cool and charismatic nightshades!) I’d be happy to talk about possible projects!
www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons...
Simons Postdoctoral Fellowships in Plant Biology
Simons Postdoctoral Fellowships in Plant Biology on Simons Foundation
www.simonsfoundation.org
October 14, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Great new postdoc fellowship for foundational plant research.
If you’re into genetics and genomics of plant reproductive evolution or adaptive convergence (incl in the cool and charismatic nightshades!) I’d be happy to talk about possible projects!
www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons...
If you’re into genetics and genomics of plant reproductive evolution or adaptive convergence (incl in the cool and charismatic nightshades!) I’d be happy to talk about possible projects!
www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons...
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
🦠Join the legendary @viromegirl.bsky.social lab
Jobs in marine micro, virology & genomics
💻 Viral 'omics in seagrass
🧬 Marine microbial & bioinformatics
🧫 Vibrio phage + iron biogeochemistry
🎓 sea urchin–ciliate diseases
👉 www.marine.usf.edu/genomics/app...
#MarineVirology #Phagesky #Microbiome
Jobs in marine micro, virology & genomics
💻 Viral 'omics in seagrass
🧬 Marine microbial & bioinformatics
🧫 Vibrio phage + iron biogeochemistry
🎓 sea urchin–ciliate diseases
👉 www.marine.usf.edu/genomics/app...
#MarineVirology #Phagesky #Microbiome
Welcome to the Breitbart Lab - Genomics
We are modern virus hunters, using metagenomic sequencing to discover viruses in a wide range of environments and hosts. Have fun exploring the marvels of microbiology on this website!
marine.usf.edu
October 12, 2025 at 1:39 AM
🦠Join the legendary @viromegirl.bsky.social lab
Jobs in marine micro, virology & genomics
💻 Viral 'omics in seagrass
🧬 Marine microbial & bioinformatics
🧫 Vibrio phage + iron biogeochemistry
🎓 sea urchin–ciliate diseases
👉 www.marine.usf.edu/genomics/app...
#MarineVirology #Phagesky #Microbiome
Jobs in marine micro, virology & genomics
💻 Viral 'omics in seagrass
🧬 Marine microbial & bioinformatics
🧫 Vibrio phage + iron biogeochemistry
🎓 sea urchin–ciliate diseases
👉 www.marine.usf.edu/genomics/app...
#MarineVirology #Phagesky #Microbiome
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
A ubiquitous Streptomyces biosynthetic megacluster encodes an arsenal of synergistic biotin-targeting antibiotics https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.09.681295v1
October 11, 2025 at 2:18 AM
A ubiquitous Streptomyces biosynthetic megacluster encodes an arsenal of synergistic biotin-targeting antibiotics https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.09.681295v1
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
Please RT:
We have an opening for a junior group leader position in „Phage Biology & Biotechnology“.
www.fz-juelich.de/de/karriere/...
Interested candidates are encouraged to contact me via email for further details.
@spp2330.bsky.social; @mibinet.bsky.social
We have an opening for a junior group leader position in „Phage Biology & Biotechnology“.
www.fz-juelich.de/de/karriere/...
Interested candidates are encouraged to contact me via email for further details.
@spp2330.bsky.social; @mibinet.bsky.social
Junior Group Leader - Phage Biology & Biotechnology
As a leading research institution for microbial biotechnology the Institute of Bio- and Geosciences - Biotechnology (IBG-1, https://www.fz-juelich.de/de/ibg/ibg-1 ) at the Forschungszentrum Jülich foc...
www.fz-juelich.de
October 8, 2025 at 6:50 AM
Please RT:
We have an opening for a junior group leader position in „Phage Biology & Biotechnology“.
www.fz-juelich.de/de/karriere/...
Interested candidates are encouraged to contact me via email for further details.
@spp2330.bsky.social; @mibinet.bsky.social
We have an opening for a junior group leader position in „Phage Biology & Biotechnology“.
www.fz-juelich.de/de/karriere/...
Interested candidates are encouraged to contact me via email for further details.
@spp2330.bsky.social; @mibinet.bsky.social
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
Test the activity of 300+ natural enzymes against 100+ substrates, discover 200+ new enzymatic reactions, and train machine learning models to predict which enzymes can do which reactions.
@aepaton.bsky.social @gabegomes.bsky.social @alisonnarayan.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@aepaton.bsky.social @gabegomes.bsky.social @alisonnarayan.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
October 2, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Test the activity of 300+ natural enzymes against 100+ substrates, discover 200+ new enzymatic reactions, and train machine learning models to predict which enzymes can do which reactions.
@aepaton.bsky.social @gabegomes.bsky.social @alisonnarayan.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@aepaton.bsky.social @gabegomes.bsky.social @alisonnarayan.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
Job alert ‼️ UChicago Micro is hiring! Open to tenured/tenure track faculty at all levels in any area of microbiology. Come join our amazing and growing department. apply.interfolio.com/174404
October 4, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Job alert ‼️ UChicago Micro is hiring! Open to tenured/tenure track faculty at all levels in any area of microbiology. Come join our amazing and growing department. apply.interfolio.com/174404
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
We have some full length 16S data from isolates that we'd like to match to ASV-level V4-V5 microbiomes from the same samples. It's pretty messy, especially for strains with multiple copies of 16S rRNA genes.
Has anyone encountered this in their work, or in the lit? Any ideas how to approach this?
Has anyone encountered this in their work, or in the lit? Any ideas how to approach this?
September 19, 2025 at 4:15 PM
We have some full length 16S data from isolates that we'd like to match to ASV-level V4-V5 microbiomes from the same samples. It's pretty messy, especially for strains with multiple copies of 16S rRNA genes.
Has anyone encountered this in their work, or in the lit? Any ideas how to approach this?
Has anyone encountered this in their work, or in the lit? Any ideas how to approach this?
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
Delighted to see our paper studying the evolution of plasmids over the last 100 years, now out! Years of work by Adrian Cazares, also Nick Thomson @sangerinstitute.bsky.social - this version much improved over the preprint. Final version should be open access, apols.
Thread 1/n
Thread 1/n
September 25, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Delighted to see our paper studying the evolution of plasmids over the last 100 years, now out! Years of work by Adrian Cazares, also Nick Thomson @sangerinstitute.bsky.social - this version much improved over the preprint. Final version should be open access, apols.
Thread 1/n
Thread 1/n
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
Feel free to contact me for info about this open position and the project! Fully funded through @hfspo.bsky.social and in collaboration with @jacrickets.bsky.social and Shawn McGlynn
Postdoc opportunity in Dal Bello Lab at Yale EEB (starting Dec 2025). Focus is on microbial ecology and learning mechanisms. Apply via email to Martina with CV. More info: https://www.dalbellolab.com/ #postdoc
dal bello lab
dal bello lab
www.dalbellolab.com
September 25, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Feel free to contact me for info about this open position and the project! Fully funded through @hfspo.bsky.social and in collaboration with @jacrickets.bsky.social and Shawn McGlynn
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
Such a delight to share our work on the evolution of a cheese rind fungus in @currentbiology.bsky.social.
This is the fantastic PhD work of @nicolasleonlouw.bsky.social and resulted from amazing collaborations, a wedding proposal(!), an undergrad course, & more!
🧵
www.cell.com/current-biol...
This is the fantastic PhD work of @nicolasleonlouw.bsky.social and resulted from amazing collaborations, a wedding proposal(!), an undergrad course, & more!
🧵
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Long-term monitoring of a North American cheese cave reveals mechanisms and consequences of fungal adaptation
Using a unique longitudinal sampling approach, Louw et al. demonstrate how a cheese-associated
Penicillium population has adapted in an artisan cheese production facility in Vermont,
USA. Adaptation i...
www.cell.com
September 16, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Such a delight to share our work on the evolution of a cheese rind fungus in @currentbiology.bsky.social.
This is the fantastic PhD work of @nicolasleonlouw.bsky.social and resulted from amazing collaborations, a wedding proposal(!), an undergrad course, & more!
🧵
www.cell.com/current-biol...
This is the fantastic PhD work of @nicolasleonlouw.bsky.social and resulted from amazing collaborations, a wedding proposal(!), an undergrad course, & more!
🧵
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
It seems trendy lately to have visualizations of 3D proteins structures generated by AI. These show very ugly artifacts, akin to AI pictures of humans with the wrong number of fingers. It is really not hard to make a visualization of a random protein structure using free software! #AI-slop
September 12, 2025 at 1:18 PM
It seems trendy lately to have visualizations of 3D proteins structures generated by AI. These show very ugly artifacts, akin to AI pictures of humans with the wrong number of fingers. It is really not hard to make a visualization of a random protein structure using free software! #AI-slop
Reposted by Rachel Gregor
Some incredible images in the SCUBA Diving Magazine 2025 photo contest!
www.scubadiving.com/2025-photo-c... 🦑🧪🌎
www.scubadiving.com/2025-photo-c... 🦑🧪🌎
Announcing Scuba Diving's 2025 Underwater Photo Contest Winners
<p>Scuba Diving magazine announces the winning images from this year's contest. Prepare to be wowed. </p>
www.scubadiving.com
September 9, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Some incredible images in the SCUBA Diving Magazine 2025 photo contest!
www.scubadiving.com/2025-photo-c... 🦑🧪🌎
www.scubadiving.com/2025-photo-c... 🦑🧪🌎