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sotonbiosciences.bsky.social
Biological Sciences
@sotonbiosciences.bsky.social
School of Biological Sciences at the University of Southampton unisouthampton.bsky.social tackling the world’s greatest life science challenges.
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Its great to be here - come and join us! go.bsky.app/CRMamiH
Join us 4 #SOTSEF👇😀! with Masters students &
Secret Life of Organoids, Inner working of Cells,
Health Innovations 🏃‍♂️ @clarkinbonebiol.bsky.social @fnobrega.bsky.social 🦠 @nelani.bsky.social Microbes, Mood & Murals 🎨 @jt8teeling.bsky.social & Sci of Jurassic Park 🦖! @neilgostling.bsky.social #BSW26
❤️ Let science steal your heart this Valentine’s Day. Book your #SOTSEF 2026 tickets! 🔍

Southampton Science and Engineering Festival returns THIS March for British Science Week at the University of Southampton!

📅 Fri 6th - Sun 15th March 2026

➡️ Find out more at www.sotsef.co.uk

#WeAreUoS #BSW26
February 14, 2026 at 11:03 AM
Professor Amritpal Mudher is part of a team of scientists who have developed a drug to prevent the build-up of Tau protein in the brain, which could pave the way for more effective treatments for neurogenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

Find out more: www.southampton.ac.uk/research/hig...
February 6, 2026 at 10:53 AM
Reposted by Biological Sciences
Preprint out: We characterise PUA-Cal-HAD, a widespread bacterial antiphage defence family. An infection cue switches a preassembled complex into an immune filament that drains dNTPs via a coupled two-enzyme cascade, and phage DNA mimics can block filament assembly (anti-polymerisation).
A methylome-derived m6-dAMP trigger assembles a PUA-Cal-HAD immune filament that depletes dNTPs to abort phage infection
Bacteria must distinguish phage attack from normal homeostatic processes, yet the danger signals that trigger many defence systems remain unknown. Here, we show that a PUA-Calcineurin-CE-HAD module from Escherichia coli ECOR28 confers broad anti-phage protection by binding Dam-methylated deoxyadenosine monophosphate (m6-dAMP) generated during phage-induced chromosome degradation. Ligand binding converts a preassembled PUA-Calcineurin-CE hexamer loaded with six HAD phosphatases into a polymerising filament. The filament acts as a high-flux dNTP sink through a two-enzyme cascade: HAD first dephosphorylates dATP to dADP, and Calcineurin-CE then converts dADP to dAMP. dNTP collapse halts phage replication and enforces abortive infection. Multiple mobile-element DNA mimic proteins block filament assembly, revealing a direct phage counter-defence. More broadly, our findings extend a conserved, cross-kingdom paradigm of immune filament assembly to nucleotide-depletion antiviral defence and suggest modified-nucleotide sensing by related PUA-Calcineurin-CE modules as a widespread, underappreciated bacterial strategy. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, https://ror.org/01qqpzg67, Postdoctoral Bridging Fellowship F.L.N. is supported by a Wessex Health Partners (WHP) and National Institute for Health and Care Research Wessex Experimental Medicine Network (NIHR WEMN), Seed fund National Institutes of Health, GM145888, U24 GM129539) Maloris Foundation Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, P30-CA008748 Simons Foundation, SF349247 New York State Assembly
www.biorxiv.org
January 17, 2026 at 2:52 PM
Reposted by Biological Sciences
Thoroughly enjoying our @sotonbiosciences.bsky.social Away Day. Lots of good discussion about the future of teaching, KEE and how we're going to keep delivering world class research. Great turnout as well, plus lunch was yum too!
January 16, 2026 at 1:21 PM
Reposted by Biological Sciences
PhD studentship available: Join the phage frontline against AMR! 🧫 🔬
Funded by Wessex Medical Research × Rosetrees Trust.
With @fnobrega.bsky.social, Prof Saul Faust (NIHR Southampton), Dr Liz Sheridan (NHS Dorset).
Info & Apply → www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Email me for informal enquiries
Next-generation phage therapeutics for combating antibiotic-resistant infections at University of Southampton on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Next-generation phage therapeutics for combating antibiotic-resistant infections at University of Southampton, listed on FindAPhD.com
www.findaphd.com
January 17, 2026 at 12:25 AM
Reposted by Biological Sciences
The call for #Southampton #Science and #Engineering Festival 2026 at @unisouthampton.bsky.social - including Science and Engineering Day, is CLOSING SOON!

↘️ Visit sotsef.co.uk/sed-registration to find out more and register.

🗓️ DEADLINE: Monday 12th January 2026

#SOTSEF🔍
#BSW25 #WeAreUoS
January 6, 2026 at 1:27 PM
Reposted by Biological Sciences
Happy New Year from everyone at the University of Southampton! ✨

Whether you’re studying, researching, teaching or supporting our University, we can’t wait to see what 2026 brings.
January 1, 2026 at 9:00 AM
A huge congratulations to all of our 2025 graduates - it was brilliant to celebrate with you today. Wishing you all the very best for the future #WeAreUoS
December 17, 2025 at 1:58 PM
The School of Biological Sciences co-organised the 2025 International Symposium for Young Scholars in Basic Medical Sciences, which took place in Jinan, China.

The event welcomed nearly 80 young scholars and postgraduate students from 12 countries.

Read more: bit.ly/4aYvilQ
December 16, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Reposted by Biological Sciences
Toxic bug E. coli uses a secret weapon to survive in our gut even when it is being treated with antibiotics 🧪

Our scientists have unmasked a super-pump inside the bacteria that is activated by our stomach acid.

Read more 👉 https://tr.pulse.ly/gomzlvmqrd
December 4, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Reposted by Biological Sciences
It was great to have Cat McColgan visit our lab to show us the etching prints she had created demonstrating plasmolysis, a mode of action that bacteria use to defend themselves against phages 🧫

Instagram: cb_mccolgan
Website: www.cbmccolgan.com
December 2, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Reposted by Biological Sciences
Love RNA biology and care about reproducibility? I’m co-editing a @bio-protocol.bsky.social special issue with @marionhogg.bsky.social & Renate Weizbauer —focusing open access and transparent RNA detection protocols.
Submit yours today - en.bio-protocol.org/content17
#OpenScience #ReproRNAbiology
July 12, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Reposted by Biological Sciences
PhD Opportunity: Advance UTI treatment with on-chip tech! 🔬🧫
Work at the microbiology-bioengineering interface with Hywel Morgan, @fnobrega.bsky.social and me.
Program EPSRC/MOD CISDnS CDT cisdns-cdt.ac.uk
Co-funded by IfLS Southampton
tinyurl.com/infoUTI
tinyurl.com/applyUTI
Deadline: 8 Dec 2025
Advancing urinary tract infection treatment through on-chip technological innovation at University of Southampton on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Advancing urinary tract infection treatment through on-chip technological innovation at University of Southampton, listed on FindAPhD.com
tinyurl.com
November 26, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Reposted by Biological Sciences
I have a PhD studentship available to work on PIF proteins in wheat with Stephen Pearce @rothamsted.bsky.social and @colleendrapek.bsky.social at Phytoform labs. Any reposts greatly appreciated.
November 6, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Reposted by Biological Sciences
Thrilled to share the core of my PhD work, now published in NAR!

This project was a true collaborative effort across multiple teams, and it was a joy to bring it to life.

Huge thanks to everyone involved, and especially to @fnobrega.bsky.social for the incredible support and guidance 🙏🏻

🧵1/5
⭐ NAR Breakthrough! ⭐

A community-driven collection uniting 52 phages, 74 Klebsiella isolates, and extensive genomic + phenotypic data — all freely available at klebphacol.org.
🧬 Learn more: doi.org/10.1093/nar/...
@fnobrega.bsky.social @danielarothschild.bsky.social #antimicrobialresistance
November 22, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Reposted by Biological Sciences
Our researchers have mapped 52 different bacteria-eating viruses (phages) in the fight against antibiotic resistant hospital superbugs. The research was made possible by Bowel Research UK.

Find out more 👉 https://southampton.pulse.ly/czdvrfqaem
New collection of bacteria-eating viruses to tackle hospital superbug
New collection of bacteria-eating viruses to tackle hospital superbug
southampton.pulse.ly
November 21, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Reposted by Biological Sciences
The call for #Southampton #Science and #Engineering Festival 2026 at @unisouthampton.bsky.social - including Science and Engineering Day, is NOW OPEN!

↘️ Visit sotsef.co.uk/sed-registration to find out more

🗓️ Deadline for contributors: Monday 12th January 2026

#SOTSEF🔍
#BSW25 #WeAreUoS
November 20, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Reposted by Biological Sciences
⭐ NAR Breakthrough! ⭐

A community-driven collection uniting 52 phages, 74 Klebsiella isolates, and extensive genomic + phenotypic data — all freely available at klebphacol.org.
🧬 Learn more: doi.org/10.1093/nar/...
@fnobrega.bsky.social @danielarothschild.bsky.social #antimicrobialresistance
November 20, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Reposted by Biological Sciences
Could weight loss drugs like Ozempic help to boost the effectiveness of breast cancer treatments in women with obesity?

Our researchers have been funded by Against Breast Cancer to investigate.

Read more 👉 https://tr.pulse.ly/vitxspwdgm
November 18, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Reposted by Biological Sciences
The annual VertZoo trip to @morethanadodo.bsky.social for a comparative anatomy study practical is always fun, but this year @sotonbiosciences.bsky.social is joined by @unisouthampton_wsa! The museum refurb looks amazing, modern but completely in keeping @unisouthampton.bsky.social #ArtAndScience
November 17, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Reposted by Biological Sciences
This week is #AntiBullyingWeek ! To celebrate what makes us unique and to raise awareness we're wearing #OddSocks ! Let's empower everyone to use their #PowerForGood to speak out, support others, and build a world where kindness wins.

@sotonbiosciences.bsky.social @unisotontechs.bsky.social
November 12, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Our researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that can spot hard-to-see objects lodged in patients’ airways better than expert radiologists, highlighting how AI can support doctors in diagnosing complex conditions.

Read more 👉 www.southampton.ac.uk/news/2025/11...
AI detects hidden objects on chest scans better than radiologists
AI detects hidden objects on chest scans better than radiologists
www.southampton.ac.uk
November 12, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Reposted by Biological Sciences
A reminder that heroes come in many guises. The Cornish caped carrot at the Parliamentary celebration of Sustain’s Sustainable Food Places at Portcullis House. Eat healthily, eat more veg, eat for the planet. #SouthamptonFoodPartnership
November 5, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Reposted by Biological Sciences
📢 #PhD Opportunity @unisouthampton.bsky.social on Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion & Marine Fouling 🌊

Join an interdisciplinary team tackling #biofilm -driven corrosion with cutting-edge genomic, electrochemical & imaging tools

⏰ Apply by 28 Nov 2025 tinyurl.com/yat9j59p

#Biofilms #MicroSky
November 4, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Reposted by Biological Sciences
Scientists have confirmed the existence of a miniature T rex - around one tenth of the size of a fully grown T rex!

@gruiformabi.bsky.social says the identification of Nanotyrannus overturns decades of research.
theconversation.com/new-miniatur...
New ‘miniature T rex’ rewrites the history of the world’s largest predator
The fossil may help end a long-running debate in palaeontology.
theconversation.com
October 31, 2025 at 10:30 AM