Sebastian Wenk
@sebwenk.bsky.social
Assistant Professor Sustainable and Synthetic Metabolism at the University of Groningen.
#C1_Metabolism
#Synthetic_Biology
#E.coli_and_other_microbes
🇩🇪->🇧🇷->🇫🇷->🇪🇸->🇳🇱
#C1_Metabolism
#Synthetic_Biology
#E.coli_and_other_microbes
🇩🇪->🇧🇷->🇫🇷->🇪🇸->🇳🇱
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
I have a postdoc position in metagenomic exploration available in my group. Candidates with documented experience in phylo & metagenomics and preferably with petabase-scale data mining and GLM workflows are encouraged to apply. Come join us! 🧬🦠💻
Please repost
Apply here: www.wur.nl/en/vacancy/p...
Please repost
Apply here: www.wur.nl/en/vacancy/p...
January 5, 2026 at 10:45 PM
I have a postdoc position in metagenomic exploration available in my group. Candidates with documented experience in phylo & metagenomics and preferably with petabase-scale data mining and GLM workflows are encouraged to apply. Come join us! 🧬🦠💻
Please repost
Apply here: www.wur.nl/en/vacancy/p...
Please repost
Apply here: www.wur.nl/en/vacancy/p...
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
Time to leverage SynBio for tacking environmental pollution. But releasing bioengineered microorganisms still raises alarms. A new narrative is badly needed: bacteria for bioremediation are not alien intrusions but laboratory-trained extensions of life’s creativity link.springer.com/10.1038/s443...
January 3, 2026 at 1:36 PM
Time to leverage SynBio for tacking environmental pollution. But releasing bioengineered microorganisms still raises alarms. A new narrative is badly needed: bacteria for bioremediation are not alien intrusions but laboratory-trained extensions of life’s creativity link.springer.com/10.1038/s443...
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
Unconstitutional force. Civilians dead. Congress bypassed. Oil interests front and center.
We’ve seen this movie before and it ends in blood. But we don’t have to do it again.
We’ve seen this movie before and it ends in blood. But we don’t have to do it again.
January 3, 2026 at 10:36 PM
Unconstitutional force. Civilians dead. Congress bypassed. Oil interests front and center.
We’ve seen this movie before and it ends in blood. But we don’t have to do it again.
We’ve seen this movie before and it ends in blood. But we don’t have to do it again.
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
Doing a PhD is - at heart - one long discussion with your mentor. The discussion changes over time - with unexpected turns and ups & downs - but through it all is a pair of people discussing a topic endlessly to make sense of it.
PhD students: choose someone you like to talk to!
PhD students: choose someone you like to talk to!
December 19, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Doing a PhD is - at heart - one long discussion with your mentor. The discussion changes over time - with unexpected turns and ups & downs - but through it all is a pair of people discussing a topic endlessly to make sense of it.
PhD students: choose someone you like to talk to!
PhD students: choose someone you like to talk to!
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
Congratulations 🎉🎉🎉 to our esteemed #microbiology @ribesresearch.bsky.social colleague @cuwelte.bsky.social on being the proud recipient of a prestigious @erc.europa.eu consolidator grant on electroANME.
All the best with your research. Very well deserved :) erc.europa.eu/news-events/...
All the best with your research. Very well deserved :) erc.europa.eu/news-events/...
December 9, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Congratulations 🎉🎉🎉 to our esteemed #microbiology @ribesresearch.bsky.social colleague @cuwelte.bsky.social on being the proud recipient of a prestigious @erc.europa.eu consolidator grant on electroANME.
All the best with your research. Very well deserved :) erc.europa.eu/news-events/...
All the best with your research. Very well deserved :) erc.europa.eu/news-events/...
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
Let’s run the numbers on this new @ERC_Research “ERC-Plus” scheme. About 30 grants to be awarded, and we’re told “better apply for a regular grant, your chances are 30× higher.”
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
ERC’s new €7m Plus Grants open to researchers at any career stage - Research Professional News
European Research Council president describes scheme as part attempt to lure US talent
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
November 30, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Let’s run the numbers on this new @ERC_Research “ERC-Plus” scheme. About 30 grants to be awarded, and we’re told “better apply for a regular grant, your chances are 30× higher.”
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
Excited to share our latest research in @natmicrobiol.nature.com . We uncover hundreds of inhibitory interactions between common chemical pollutants and human gut bacteria. A thread🧵 (1/10) #microbiomesky #microsky @kiranrpatil.bsky.social lab @mrc-tu.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Industrial and agricultural chemicals exhibit antimicrobial activity against human gut bacteria in vitro - Nature Microbiology
Screening of 1,076 compounds reveals 168 chemical pollutants with inhibitory effects on gut bacteria and genetic screens indicate commonality between pollutant and antibiotic resistance.
www.nature.com
November 26, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Excited to share our latest research in @natmicrobiol.nature.com . We uncover hundreds of inhibitory interactions between common chemical pollutants and human gut bacteria. A thread🧵 (1/10) #microbiomesky #microsky @kiranrpatil.bsky.social lab @mrc-tu.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
Newest preprint from our lab: a new family of promising synthetic CO2 fixation cycles that may outcompete the Calvin cycle and that Vittorio Rainaldi realized to a great extent in E. coli! Up to 11 heterologous enzymes in a cascade supporting CO2 fixation & growth! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Modular in vivo engineering of the reductive methylaspartate cycles for synthetic CO2 fixation
Biological carbon fixation is currently limited to seven naturally occurring pathways. Synthetic carbon fixation pathways have the potential to surpass aerobic natural pathways in efficiency, but none...
www.biorxiv.org
November 25, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Newest preprint from our lab: a new family of promising synthetic CO2 fixation cycles that may outcompete the Calvin cycle and that Vittorio Rainaldi realized to a great extent in E. coli! Up to 11 heterologous enzymes in a cascade supporting CO2 fixation & growth! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
Hmmm
This work has so many implications on literature 😳😬
Fluorescein-based dyes are not valid reporters of oxidative stress in bacteria, and conclusions based on their use must be reconsidered | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
This work has so many implications on literature 😳😬
Fluorescein-based dyes are not valid reporters of oxidative stress in bacteria, and conclusions based on their use must be reconsidered | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Fluorescein-based dyes are not valid reporters of oxidative stress in bacteria, and conclusions based on their use must be reconsidered | PNAS
Dihydrodichlorofluorescein derivatives have been employed as reporters of intracellular
reactive oxygen species (ROS) in innumerable studies. Their...
www.pnas.org
November 19, 2025 at 5:03 AM
Hmmm
This work has so many implications on literature 😳😬
Fluorescein-based dyes are not valid reporters of oxidative stress in bacteria, and conclusions based on their use must be reconsidered | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
This work has so many implications on literature 😳😬
Fluorescein-based dyes are not valid reporters of oxidative stress in bacteria, and conclusions based on their use must be reconsidered | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
Prashant Singh in the lab of Tina Iverson at Vanderbilt published this image of the bacterial 🦠flagellar motor, a detailed molecular model made possibly by CryoEM 🔬.
The similarity to mechanical motors are strong enough we can use terms like stator, rotor, rod & gearing to describe it.
The similarity to mechanical motors are strong enough we can use terms like stator, rotor, rod & gearing to describe it.
November 17, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Prashant Singh in the lab of Tina Iverson at Vanderbilt published this image of the bacterial 🦠flagellar motor, a detailed molecular model made possibly by CryoEM 🔬.
The similarity to mechanical motors are strong enough we can use terms like stator, rotor, rod & gearing to describe it.
The similarity to mechanical motors are strong enough we can use terms like stator, rotor, rod & gearing to describe it.
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
Sixty-five years ago today, four first-graders desegregated New Orleans's public schools: Ruby Bridges at William Frantz Elementary School, and Leona Tate, Tessie Provost, and Gail Etienne at McDonogh 19 Elementary School. They faced violent mobs and threats to their lives. They were 6 years old. 🗃
November 14, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Sixty-five years ago today, four first-graders desegregated New Orleans's public schools: Ruby Bridges at William Frantz Elementary School, and Leona Tate, Tessie Provost, and Gail Etienne at McDonogh 19 Elementary School. They faced violent mobs and threats to their lives. They were 6 years old. 🗃
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
Very excited to share our latest work in Science on metagenomic editing (MetaEdit) of the gut microbiome in vivo & directly modifying unculturable immune-modulatory SFB bug in the small intestine. 🦠🧬🛠️
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Metagenomic editing of commensal bacteria in vivo using CRISPR-associated transposases
Although metagenomic sequencing has revealed a rich microbial biodiversity in the mammalian gut, methods to genetically alter specific species in the microbiome are highly limited. Here, we introduce ...
www.science.org
November 13, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Very excited to share our latest work in Science on metagenomic editing (MetaEdit) of the gut microbiome in vivo & directly modifying unculturable immune-modulatory SFB bug in the small intestine. 🦠🧬🛠️
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
Very happy to share our recent work @cultivarium.bsky.social on genetic tools for Ideonella sakaiensis, a (Betaproteo-)bacterium that degrades PET plastic.
We identified a plasmid vector for the strain and generated a large RB-TnSeq library, screening for genes impacting plastic degradation.
We identified a plasmid vector for the strain and generated a large RB-TnSeq library, screening for genes impacting plastic degradation.
November 12, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Very happy to share our recent work @cultivarium.bsky.social on genetic tools for Ideonella sakaiensis, a (Betaproteo-)bacterium that degrades PET plastic.
We identified a plasmid vector for the strain and generated a large RB-TnSeq library, screening for genes impacting plastic degradation.
We identified a plasmid vector for the strain and generated a large RB-TnSeq library, screening for genes impacting plastic degradation.
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
Prof. Hamilton Smith at J. Craig Venter Institute, a Nobel laureate for discovering type II restriction enzymes, passed away last night.
@jcvi.org @nobelprize.bsky.social
A huge loss in Science, but his legacy will be remembered.
www.jcvi.org/about/hamilt...
@jcvi.org @nobelprize.bsky.social
A huge loss in Science, but his legacy will be remembered.
www.jcvi.org/about/hamilt...
October 25, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Prof. Hamilton Smith at J. Craig Venter Institute, a Nobel laureate for discovering type II restriction enzymes, passed away last night.
@jcvi.org @nobelprize.bsky.social
A huge loss in Science, but his legacy will be remembered.
www.jcvi.org/about/hamilt...
@jcvi.org @nobelprize.bsky.social
A huge loss in Science, but his legacy will be remembered.
www.jcvi.org/about/hamilt...
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
Such an honor! Can’t wait to visit Brno next week, the place I’ve been teaching about in Genetics course for years but never visited (I feel like I know the garden and the monastery from what I read).
October 24, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Such an honor! Can’t wait to visit Brno next week, the place I’ve been teaching about in Genetics course for years but never visited (I feel like I know the garden and the monastery from what I read).
🔥🔥🔥 Friday Evening, Paper Out, Feierabend 🔥🔥🔥
When evolution and enzyme engineering team up, they can convince microbes to assimilate sustainable carbon substrates preparing them for a life in a circular bioeconomy.
doi.org/10.1016/j.ym...
When evolution and enzyme engineering team up, they can convince microbes to assimilate sustainable carbon substrates preparing them for a life in a circular bioeconomy.
doi.org/10.1016/j.ym...
Redirecting
doi.org
October 24, 2025 at 5:00 PM
🔥🔥🔥 Friday Evening, Paper Out, Feierabend 🔥🔥🔥
When evolution and enzyme engineering team up, they can convince microbes to assimilate sustainable carbon substrates preparing them for a life in a circular bioeconomy.
doi.org/10.1016/j.ym...
When evolution and enzyme engineering team up, they can convince microbes to assimilate sustainable carbon substrates preparing them for a life in a circular bioeconomy.
doi.org/10.1016/j.ym...
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
Unlike the heart attack of getting a “Decision” email, it’s such a good feeling to get a “Your review is ready” email from qed :)
October 21, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Unlike the heart attack of getting a “Decision” email, it’s such a good feeling to get a “Your review is ready” email from qed :)
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
The 2025 #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi for their groundbreaking discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance that prevents the immune system from harming the body 🧪 www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medic...
October 6, 2025 at 9:42 AM
The 2025 #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi for their groundbreaking discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance that prevents the immune system from harming the body 🧪 www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medic...
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
"Jane Goodall showed us what a life in science could look like: rigorous discovery paired with fierce advocacy for what you study. She gave the world six decades of groundbreaking research on chimpanzees and their habitats, then turned that knowledge into a global movement for conservation." (1/2)
October 2, 2025 at 1:47 PM
"Jane Goodall showed us what a life in science could look like: rigorous discovery paired with fierce advocacy for what you study. She gave the world six decades of groundbreaking research on chimpanzees and their habitats, then turned that knowledge into a global movement for conservation." (1/2)
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
Once upon a time Desk Editors quietly fixed minor issues in accepted papers to ensure format compliance. Now, even the smallest formatting slip sends a ms back to the authors for trivial corrections. Is this really about maintaining standards—or just saving salaries of those used to handle this 🤔?
September 23, 2025 at 4:51 AM
Once upon a time Desk Editors quietly fixed minor issues in accepted papers to ensure format compliance. Now, even the smallest formatting slip sends a ms back to the authors for trivial corrections. Is this really about maintaining standards—or just saving salaries of those used to handle this 🤔?
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
Diese #Klimademo war laut, bunt, wütend, hoffnungsvoll - ich bin stolz auf dich #Berlin, weiter so 💪🏻
September 20, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Diese #Klimademo war laut, bunt, wütend, hoffnungsvoll - ich bin stolz auf dich #Berlin, weiter so 💪🏻
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
Bio-desulfurization of fossil fuels has been a classic env biotech challenge for decades, but the field became stagnant for a while … until @pglekas.bsky.social et al leveraged SynBio tools to develop superior whole-cell catalysts enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... 😱
Boosting Dibenzothiophene Biodesulfurization Through Implantation of a Refactored DBT Pathway in a Tailored Pseudomonas putida Chassis
This study engineered a Pseudomonas putida strain to efficiently remove sulfur from dibenzothiophene (DBT) by reordering and optimising the dsz operon from Rhodococcus qingshengii IGTS8, enhancing ca...
enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
September 12, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Bio-desulfurization of fossil fuels has been a classic env biotech challenge for decades, but the field became stagnant for a while … until @pglekas.bsky.social et al leveraged SynBio tools to develop superior whole-cell catalysts enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... 😱
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
Very honored to receive the Royal Society Research Culture Award - this represents the work of a great team who've worked non-stop since we launched bioRxiv in 2013 royalsociety.org/news/2025/08... www.cshl.edu/inglis-and-s...
Invisibility cloak pioneer Sir John Pendry awarded Royal Society’s top prize | Royal Society
The Royal Society announces the medals and awards recipients 2025
royalsociety.org
August 27, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Very honored to receive the Royal Society Research Culture Award - this represents the work of a great team who've worked non-stop since we launched bioRxiv in 2013 royalsociety.org/news/2025/08... www.cshl.edu/inglis-and-s...
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
I gave a symposium talk at the European Society for Evolutionary Biology 2025 (#eseb2025) meeting last week and this was my title slide showcasing how I was speaking as an independent scientist because @dalhousieu.bsky.social @dalhousie.bsky.social has locked us out.
August 25, 2025 at 12:09 PM
I gave a symposium talk at the European Society for Evolutionary Biology 2025 (#eseb2025) meeting last week and this was my title slide showcasing how I was speaking as an independent scientist because @dalhousieu.bsky.social @dalhousie.bsky.social has locked us out.
Reposted by Sebastian Wenk
#Synthetic C1 #metabolism in #Pseudomonas putida enables strict formatotrophy and methylotrophy via the reductive glycine pathway—led by J. Turlin, M. G. Alván, @oscarpuiggene.bsky.social w/@stefanodonati.bsky.social & @sebwenk.bsky.social @mbio.bsky.social #SynBio
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Synthetic C1 metabolism in Pseudomonas putida enables strict formatotrophy and methylotrophy via the reductive glycine pathway | mBio
Soluble C1 feedstocks, such as formate and methanol, have gained attention as sustainable substrates for biotechnology, with the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on sugar-based resources. Despite their promise, the metabolic ...
journals.asm.org
August 21, 2025 at 3:45 PM
#Synthetic C1 #metabolism in #Pseudomonas putida enables strict formatotrophy and methylotrophy via the reductive glycine pathway—led by J. Turlin, M. G. Alván, @oscarpuiggene.bsky.social w/@stefanodonati.bsky.social & @sebwenk.bsky.social @mbio.bsky.social #SynBio
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...