Sultan Nazir (he/him)
@sultannazir.bsky.social
PhD candidate in Theoretical Biology at Utrecht University
Interested in mathematical and computational models of microbial ecology and evolution. Working on MGEs.
sultannazir.github.io
🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🇵🇸✊🏾
Interested in mathematical and computational models of microbial ecology and evolution. Working on MGEs.
sultannazir.github.io
🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🇵🇸✊🏾
Pinned
Excited to share the first preprint from my PhD at @binfutrecht.bsky.social ! 1.5 years ago, @bramvandijk.bsky.social hired me to investigate: why do prophages preferentially carry virulence genes? Using mathematical models, we propose that spatial structure plays a key role. Here's a summary:
1/15
1/15
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
🚨#PhD studentship opportunity! Plasmids provide bacteria with antimicrobial resistance, but do they have more fundamental effects on behaviour? 🧫🦠💫🧟♂️
Apply for a 4y funded MRC DiMeN position with me and Jamie Wheeler @livuni-ives.bsky.social www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Apply for a 4y funded MRC DiMeN position with me and Jamie Wheeler @livuni-ives.bsky.social www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
MRC DiMeN Doctoral Training Partnership: Resistant zombies: how drug-resistance plasmids manipulate the behaviour of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa at University of Liverpool on Fin...
PhD Project - MRC DiMeN Doctoral Training Partnership: Resistant zombies: how drug-resistance plasmids manipulate the behaviour of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa at University of Li...
www.findaphd.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:38 AM
🚨#PhD studentship opportunity! Plasmids provide bacteria with antimicrobial resistance, but do they have more fundamental effects on behaviour? 🧫🦠💫🧟♂️
Apply for a 4y funded MRC DiMeN position with me and Jamie Wheeler @livuni-ives.bsky.social www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Apply for a 4y funded MRC DiMeN position with me and Jamie Wheeler @livuni-ives.bsky.social www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
Followed by more interesting science about phages by @sultannazir.bsky.social
September 18, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Followed by more interesting science about phages by @sultannazir.bsky.social
Excited to present work from my preprint at #SMBI2025 @uni-jena.de on September 18th. I will be speaking on how spatial structure can explain the association of microbial accessory genes with inducible prophages.
asb-conference.hki-jena.de/schedule/
asb-conference.hki-jena.de/schedule/
Schedule – Applied Systems Biology Symposia
Emmanuel Saliba, University of Würzburg, Germany.
asb-conference.hki-jena.de
August 25, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Excited to present work from my preprint at #SMBI2025 @uni-jena.de on September 18th. I will be speaking on how spatial structure can explain the association of microbial accessory genes with inducible prophages.
asb-conference.hki-jena.de/schedule/
asb-conference.hki-jena.de/schedule/
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
Excited to share new #program, STEPS, which can simulate #dynamics of the E. coli Long-Term Evolution Experiment (#LTEE) or other microbes in serial transfer regime.
telliamedrevisited.wordpress.com/2025/08/12/s...
STEPS developed by @devinmlake.bsky.social, Zachary Matson, Minako Izutsu, and me.
telliamedrevisited.wordpress.com/2025/08/12/s...
STEPS developed by @devinmlake.bsky.social, Zachary Matson, Minako Izutsu, and me.
STEPS To It
Announcing a new program, called STEPS, to simulate the dynamics of evolving microbial populations.
telliamedrevisited.wordpress.com
August 12, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Excited to share new #program, STEPS, which can simulate #dynamics of the E. coli Long-Term Evolution Experiment (#LTEE) or other microbes in serial transfer regime.
telliamedrevisited.wordpress.com/2025/08/12/s...
STEPS developed by @devinmlake.bsky.social, Zachary Matson, Minako Izutsu, and me.
telliamedrevisited.wordpress.com/2025/08/12/s...
STEPS developed by @devinmlake.bsky.social, Zachary Matson, Minako Izutsu, and me.
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
Okay this is what Pride is.
"Around 100,000 march at Budapest Pride in defiance of Hungary’s ban on the event"
The picture brings me incredible joy. So many people. Giant flag. So much joy. So much bravery.
www.pbs.org/newshour/wor...
"Around 100,000 march at Budapest Pride in defiance of Hungary’s ban on the event"
The picture brings me incredible joy. So many people. Giant flag. So much joy. So much bravery.
www.pbs.org/newshour/wor...
Around 100,000 march at Budapest Pride in defiance of Hungary's ban on the event
Marchers gambled with potential police intervention and heavy fines to participate in the 30th annual Budapest Pride, which was outlawed by a law passed in March by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's right...
www.pbs.org
June 28, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Okay this is what Pride is.
"Around 100,000 march at Budapest Pride in defiance of Hungary’s ban on the event"
The picture brings me incredible joy. So many people. Giant flag. So much joy. So much bravery.
www.pbs.org/newshour/wor...
"Around 100,000 march at Budapest Pride in defiance of Hungary’s ban on the event"
The picture brings me incredible joy. So many people. Giant flag. So much joy. So much bravery.
www.pbs.org/newshour/wor...
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
The first paper of my PhD is now available as a preprint! 🎉
Transposable elements (TEs) don't just jump within fungal genomes, they also move extensively between species. In this study, we screened over 1,300 fungal genomes and found a conservative estimate of 5,500+ horizontal transfer events.
Transposable elements (TEs) don't just jump within fungal genomes, they also move extensively between species. In this study, we screened over 1,300 fungal genomes and found a conservative estimate of 5,500+ horizontal transfer events.
www.biorxiv.org
June 20, 2025 at 7:39 PM
The first paper of my PhD is now available as a preprint! 🎉
Transposable elements (TEs) don't just jump within fungal genomes, they also move extensively between species. In this study, we screened over 1,300 fungal genomes and found a conservative estimate of 5,500+ horizontal transfer events.
Transposable elements (TEs) don't just jump within fungal genomes, they also move extensively between species. In this study, we screened over 1,300 fungal genomes and found a conservative estimate of 5,500+ horizontal transfer events.
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
🧩 PhD Position – Origins of Darwinian Inheritance 🧩
This joint PhD project between the @rug.nl (Rampal Etienne & Martijn Egas) and @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social (Bram van Dijk) explores how simple prebiotic systems could evolve reliable information transfer.
Apply here: shorturl.at/WgYMF
This joint PhD project between the @rug.nl (Rampal Etienne & Martijn Egas) and @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social (Bram van Dijk) explores how simple prebiotic systems could evolve reliable information transfer.
Apply here: shorturl.at/WgYMF
May 9, 2025 at 2:55 PM
🧩 PhD Position – Origins of Darwinian Inheritance 🧩
This joint PhD project between the @rug.nl (Rampal Etienne & Martijn Egas) and @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social (Bram van Dijk) explores how simple prebiotic systems could evolve reliable information transfer.
Apply here: shorturl.at/WgYMF
This joint PhD project between the @rug.nl (Rampal Etienne & Martijn Egas) and @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social (Bram van Dijk) explores how simple prebiotic systems could evolve reliable information transfer.
Apply here: shorturl.at/WgYMF
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
Trans women are women.
Trans men are men.
Fuck Harry Potter.
Trans men are men.
Fuck Harry Potter.
April 16, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Trans women are women.
Trans men are men.
Fuck Harry Potter.
Trans men are men.
Fuck Harry Potter.
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
🚨 🧬 Updated preprint on the completed BASEL collection - what's new? Some fun with bacterial immunity and a new P22 relative infecting E. coli K-12. A thread 🧵
February 6, 2025 at 6:05 AM
🚨 🧬 Updated preprint on the completed BASEL collection - what's new? Some fun with bacterial immunity and a new P22 relative infecting E. coli K-12. A thread 🧵
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
Preprint out! Bacteria w/ hyper-replicative filamentous phage lead to overnight emergence of cheater phages. Bacteria w/ both phages can outcompete wildtype, then rapidly lose phage via a phage Tragedy of the Commons
@shellyscrib.bsky.social @vscooper.micropopbio.org www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
@shellyscrib.bsky.social @vscooper.micropopbio.org www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Filamentous cheater phages drive bacterial and phage populations to lower fitness
Many bacteria carry phage genome(s) in their chromosome (i.e., prophage), and this intertwines the fitness of the bacterium and the phage. Most Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains carry filamentous phages ...
www.biorxiv.org
April 2, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Preprint out! Bacteria w/ hyper-replicative filamentous phage lead to overnight emergence of cheater phages. Bacteria w/ both phages can outcompete wildtype, then rapidly lose phage via a phage Tragedy of the Commons
@shellyscrib.bsky.social @vscooper.micropopbio.org www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
@shellyscrib.bsky.social @vscooper.micropopbio.org www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
New online! Interactions and evolutionary relationships among bacterial mobile genetic elements
Interactions and evolutionary relationships among bacterial mobile genetic elements
Nature Reviews Microbiology, Published online: 11 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41579-025-01157-yIn this Review, Lang and colleagues present an overview of the current knowledge landscape regarding mobile genetic elements in bacteria, with a focus on their…
www.nature.com
March 11, 2025 at 1:14 PM
New online! Interactions and evolutionary relationships among bacterial mobile genetic elements
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
Inspired by the work of @renskevroomans.bsky.social and @escolizzi.bsky.social on "selfish multicellularity", I made a very different type of model to replicate their results. Take that #replicationcrisis!
(try it yourself here: tbb.bio.uu.nl/bvd/simulati...)
(try it yourself here: tbb.bio.uu.nl/bvd/simulati...)
March 12, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Inspired by the work of @renskevroomans.bsky.social and @escolizzi.bsky.social on "selfish multicellularity", I made a very different type of model to replicate their results. Take that #replicationcrisis!
(try it yourself here: tbb.bio.uu.nl/bvd/simulati...)
(try it yourself here: tbb.bio.uu.nl/bvd/simulati...)
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
🚨 Now that @sultannazir.bsky.social has written about his work, let me try and summarise what we found. The question we worked on was inspired by Takeuchi et al. (2023) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37339743/, who illustrated that (pro)phages are enriched in virulence factors compared to plasmids. [1/10]
March 10, 2025 at 9:19 AM
🚨 Now that @sultannazir.bsky.social has written about his work, let me try and summarise what we found. The question we worked on was inspired by Takeuchi et al. (2023) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37339743/, who illustrated that (pro)phages are enriched in virulence factors compared to plasmids. [1/10]
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
We did it! We caught Starship #transposons moving between #fungal species in the lab, including between species separated by ~100my. We think Starships are a mediator of HGT in fungi, akin to conjugative elements in bacteria. Check out the preprint. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
March 7, 2025 at 7:18 AM
We did it! We caught Starship #transposons moving between #fungal species in the lab, including between species separated by ~100my. We think Starships are a mediator of HGT in fungi, akin to conjugative elements in bacteria. Check out the preprint. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Excited to share the first preprint from my PhD at @binfutrecht.bsky.social ! 1.5 years ago, @bramvandijk.bsky.social hired me to investigate: why do prophages preferentially carry virulence genes? Using mathematical models, we propose that spatial structure plays a key role. Here's a summary:
1/15
1/15
March 7, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Excited to share the first preprint from my PhD at @binfutrecht.bsky.social ! 1.5 years ago, @bramvandijk.bsky.social hired me to investigate: why do prophages preferentially carry virulence genes? Using mathematical models, we propose that spatial structure plays a key role. Here's a summary:
1/15
1/15
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
Okay… I gotta mute this one. It’s getting a bunch of replies about how it’s not worth explaining true things because “the right is stupid”.
I want us all to reflect on the reality that calling working class Americans stupid only benefits people who stand to gain from a divided working class.
I want us all to reflect on the reality that calling working class Americans stupid only benefits people who stand to gain from a divided working class.
March 6, 2025 at 6:04 AM
Okay… I gotta mute this one. It’s getting a bunch of replies about how it’s not worth explaining true things because “the right is stupid”.
I want us all to reflect on the reality that calling working class Americans stupid only benefits people who stand to gain from a divided working class.
I want us all to reflect on the reality that calling working class Americans stupid only benefits people who stand to gain from a divided working class.
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
There is still time to apply to the Alma Dal Co School on Collective Behaviour! The deadline has been extended till March 16th. We would especially welcome applications from members of underrepresented groups. Limited travel grants are available. Apply now and join us! almadalcoschool.github.io
February 27, 2025 at 7:56 AM
There is still time to apply to the Alma Dal Co School on Collective Behaviour! The deadline has been extended till March 16th. We would especially welcome applications from members of underrepresented groups. Limited travel grants are available. Apply now and join us! almadalcoschool.github.io
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
I think the Microbial Evolution feed is working! Simply add the #MEvoSky hashtag to your post and it will aggregate to the feed linked below. Feel free to introduce yourself in context of microbial evo and adjacent topics. Experimental and directed evo welcome too!
bsky.app/profile/did:...
bsky.app/profile/did:...
January 30, 2025 at 3:49 AM
I think the Microbial Evolution feed is working! Simply add the #MEvoSky hashtag to your post and it will aggregate to the feed linked below. Feel free to introduce yourself in context of microbial evo and adjacent topics. Experimental and directed evo welcome too!
bsky.app/profile/did:...
bsky.app/profile/did:...
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
🆕New in @plosbiology.bsky.social: we show compensatory mutations make plasmids play Rock-Paper-Scissors and turn conjugation into a weapon🛡️💫✂️🦠
w/Rosanna Wright, Jamie Wood, @mbottery.bsky.social, @kmudz.bsky.social, @scottishwormboy.bsky.social, Ellie Harrison & @brockhurstlab.bsky.social #MicroSky
w/Rosanna Wright, Jamie Wood, @mbottery.bsky.social, @kmudz.bsky.social, @scottishwormboy.bsky.social, Ellie Harrison & @brockhurstlab.bsky.social #MicroSky
A chromosomal mutation is superior to a plasmid-encoded mutation for plasmid fitness cost compensation
Plasmids spread important traits in microbiomes but impose fitness costs on their hosts. This study of the ecological consequences of plasmid-bacterial compensatory evolution reveals benefits to bacte...
journals.plos.org
December 3, 2024 at 9:45 AM
🆕New in @plosbiology.bsky.social: we show compensatory mutations make plasmids play Rock-Paper-Scissors and turn conjugation into a weapon🛡️💫✂️🦠
w/Rosanna Wright, Jamie Wood, @mbottery.bsky.social, @kmudz.bsky.social, @scottishwormboy.bsky.social, Ellie Harrison & @brockhurstlab.bsky.social #MicroSky
w/Rosanna Wright, Jamie Wood, @mbottery.bsky.social, @kmudz.bsky.social, @scottishwormboy.bsky.social, Ellie Harrison & @brockhurstlab.bsky.social #MicroSky
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
PhD studentship alert!
Fully funded, co-supervised with @rokkrasovec.bsky.social and Prof Mike Bromley, University of Manchester
Exploring routes of horizontal gene transfer in pathogenic fungi
Exciting project, will be a bunch of fun! Come & join us 🔬
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Fully funded, co-supervised with @rokkrasovec.bsky.social and Prof Mike Bromley, University of Manchester
Exploring routes of horizontal gene transfer in pathogenic fungi
Exciting project, will be a bunch of fun! Come & join us 🔬
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
www.findaphd.com
November 28, 2024 at 3:06 PM
PhD studentship alert!
Fully funded, co-supervised with @rokkrasovec.bsky.social and Prof Mike Bromley, University of Manchester
Exploring routes of horizontal gene transfer in pathogenic fungi
Exciting project, will be a bunch of fun! Come & join us 🔬
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Fully funded, co-supervised with @rokkrasovec.bsky.social and Prof Mike Bromley, University of Manchester
Exploring routes of horizontal gene transfer in pathogenic fungi
Exciting project, will be a bunch of fun! Come & join us 🔬
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics at the protest against the budget cuts on education.
This choice will cost - everyone - money in the long run.
#WOinActie #wanbeleid
This choice will cost - everyone - money in the long run.
#WOinActie #wanbeleid
November 25, 2024 at 5:10 PM
Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics at the protest against the budget cuts on education.
This choice will cost - everyone - money in the long run.
#WOinActie #wanbeleid
This choice will cost - everyone - money in the long run.
#WOinActie #wanbeleid
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
Large crowds mobilising today to protest (we could not even fit in 3 different trains) in The Hague.
The Dutch government wants to cut 1 billion euros to science and education. This policy will damage the country profoundly.
Stop the budget cuts.
Protect the future.
@woinactie.bsky.social
The Dutch government wants to cut 1 billion euros to science and education. This policy will damage the country profoundly.
Stop the budget cuts.
Protect the future.
@woinactie.bsky.social
All the trains towards the protest against the budget cuts were full, so we’re taking a detour in this relatively empty train.
This plan will not save money. This plan will cost money. It will cost - EVERYONE - money.
#WOinActie
@woinactie.bsky.social
This plan will not save money. This plan will cost money. It will cost - EVERYONE - money.
#WOinActie
@woinactie.bsky.social
November 25, 2024 at 12:27 PM
Large crowds mobilising today to protest (we could not even fit in 3 different trains) in The Hague.
The Dutch government wants to cut 1 billion euros to science and education. This policy will damage the country profoundly.
Stop the budget cuts.
Protect the future.
@woinactie.bsky.social
The Dutch government wants to cut 1 billion euros to science and education. This policy will damage the country profoundly.
Stop the budget cuts.
Protect the future.
@woinactie.bsky.social
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
coming down to the wires on #LGBTQSTEMDay to share a little starter pack of QPOC EEB scientists!!
help grow this community and nominate your fave QPOC EEBer! CCmment/DM if you'd like to be added, I would love to connect :)
go.bsky.app/S5fpXWm
help grow this community and nominate your fave QPOC EEBer! CCmment/DM if you'd like to be added, I would love to connect :)
go.bsky.app/S5fpXWm
November 19, 2024 at 4:21 AM
coming down to the wires on #LGBTQSTEMDay to share a little starter pack of QPOC EEB scientists!!
help grow this community and nominate your fave QPOC EEBer! CCmment/DM if you'd like to be added, I would love to connect :)
go.bsky.app/S5fpXWm
help grow this community and nominate your fave QPOC EEBer! CCmment/DM if you'd like to be added, I would love to connect :)
go.bsky.app/S5fpXWm
Reposted by Sultan Nazir (he/him)
Hola, I've just joined Bluesky. Follow me if you are interested in research on #phage diversity and their interaction with #plant pathogenic #bacteria. Also, more changes are coming! After a few years at @INRAE-PV I've just joined @phimresearch.bsky.social.
November 19, 2024 at 9:53 AM
Hola, I've just joined Bluesky. Follow me if you are interested in research on #phage diversity and their interaction with #plant pathogenic #bacteria. Also, more changes are coming! After a few years at @INRAE-PV I've just joined @phimresearch.bsky.social.