The Thormann Lab
@thethormannden.bsky.social
Roaming at the Justus Liebig University in Giessen, Germany. Interested in bacteria, cell biology, motility, phages and the various wonders of life.
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
We have wondered what a complex archaeal cell might look like ever since 2014. It’s been a long road (and the journey is far from over), but it’s a good time to pause for breath and look. These Asgard archaeal cells are a surprise! And that is the joy of being a cell biologist.
November 7, 2025 at 11:02 AM
We have wondered what a complex archaeal cell might look like ever since 2014. It’s been a long road (and the journey is far from over), but it’s a good time to pause for breath and look. These Asgard archaeal cells are a surprise! And that is the joy of being a cell biologist.
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
An Asgard archaeon with internal membrane compartments
Brilliant study led by @fmacleod.bsky.social and Andriko von Kügelgen. Tight collaboration with @buzzbaum.bsky.social and lab. Congrats to all authors!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Brilliant study led by @fmacleod.bsky.social and Andriko von Kügelgen. Tight collaboration with @buzzbaum.bsky.social and lab. Congrats to all authors!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 7, 2025 at 10:44 AM
An Asgard archaeon with internal membrane compartments
Brilliant study led by @fmacleod.bsky.social and Andriko von Kügelgen. Tight collaboration with @buzzbaum.bsky.social and lab. Congrats to all authors!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Brilliant study led by @fmacleod.bsky.social and Andriko von Kügelgen. Tight collaboration with @buzzbaum.bsky.social and lab. Congrats to all authors!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
Bacteria can sense when a virus starts shredding their genome — by detecting methylated mononucleotides.
Here’s the story of how we discovered the Metis defense system 👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Here’s the story of how we discovered the Metis defense system 👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 6, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Bacteria can sense when a virus starts shredding their genome — by detecting methylated mononucleotides.
Here’s the story of how we discovered the Metis defense system 👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Here’s the story of how we discovered the Metis defense system 👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
📢 Postdoc position: Cell Biology of Cyanobacteria
in my group, as part of the Excellence Cluster "Microbes for Climate" (M4C) in Marburg, Germany.
More information at shorturl.at/wNnDT (see Project 2)
🔗Apply at shorturl.at/VsEDl
📅Deadline: Nov 16, 2025
Please repost. #Postdoc
in my group, as part of the Excellence Cluster "Microbes for Climate" (M4C) in Marburg, Germany.
More information at shorturl.at/wNnDT (see Project 2)
🔗Apply at shorturl.at/VsEDl
📅Deadline: Nov 16, 2025
Please repost. #Postdoc
November 2, 2025 at 7:13 PM
📢 Postdoc position: Cell Biology of Cyanobacteria
in my group, as part of the Excellence Cluster "Microbes for Climate" (M4C) in Marburg, Germany.
More information at shorturl.at/wNnDT (see Project 2)
🔗Apply at shorturl.at/VsEDl
📅Deadline: Nov 16, 2025
Please repost. #Postdoc
in my group, as part of the Excellence Cluster "Microbes for Climate" (M4C) in Marburg, Germany.
More information at shorturl.at/wNnDT (see Project 2)
🔗Apply at shorturl.at/VsEDl
📅Deadline: Nov 16, 2025
Please repost. #Postdoc
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
📢 We have an open position for a postdoc to join my lab. It's a great position @animecol-uu.bsky.social, fully salaried for 2.5 years with all benefits.
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
The project is about transmission patterns of bacteria and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic insects. 🧬🦠 (1/3)
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
The project is about transmission patterns of bacteria and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic insects. 🧬🦠 (1/3)
Postdoctoral researcher in molecular ecology - Uppsala University
Postdoctoral researcher in molecular ecology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University
www.uu.se
October 27, 2025 at 7:43 AM
📢 We have an open position for a postdoc to join my lab. It's a great position @animecol-uu.bsky.social, fully salaried for 2.5 years with all benefits.
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
The project is about transmission patterns of bacteria and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic insects. 🧬🦠 (1/3)
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
The project is about transmission patterns of bacteria and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic insects. 🧬🦠 (1/3)
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
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
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
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
aprecruit.ucsf.edu/JPF05807
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
New PrePrint from the Vecchiarelli and Mosalaganti (@shyamalm.bsky.social) labs! 🧵
Collaboration with the Giessen and Pi labs
Congratulations to co-first authors Y Hoang (@hoanghamyy.bsky.social) and Pankaj Jadhav!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Collaboration with the Giessen and Pi labs
Congratulations to co-first authors Y Hoang (@hoanghamyy.bsky.social) and Pankaj Jadhav!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Engineering Spatial Control of Bacterial Organelles
Bacteria were once thought to lack organelles, but it is now clear they confine cellular reactions using an array of membrane- and protein-based compartments. A central question, however, is how bacte...
www.biorxiv.org
September 23, 2025 at 5:38 PM
New PrePrint from the Vecchiarelli and Mosalaganti (@shyamalm.bsky.social) labs! 🧵
Collaboration with the Giessen and Pi labs
Congratulations to co-first authors Y Hoang (@hoanghamyy.bsky.social) and Pankaj Jadhav!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Collaboration with the Giessen and Pi labs
Congratulations to co-first authors Y Hoang (@hoanghamyy.bsky.social) and Pankaj Jadhav!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
And here is the published version of the work from @selimlab.bsky.social, @mygalperin.bsky.social, Dubnau labs and @thethormannden.bsky.social labs
(superb collaboration)
ComFB, a widespread family of c-di-NMP receptor proteins
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
(superb collaboration)
ComFB, a widespread family of c-di-NMP receptor proteins
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
ComFB, a widespread family of c-di-NMP receptor proteins | PNAS
Cyclic dimeric-GMP (c-di-GMP) is a ubiquitous bacterial second messenger that regulates
a variety of cellular processes, including motility, biofil...
www.pnas.org
September 19, 2025 at 11:04 AM
And here is the published version of the work from @selimlab.bsky.social, @mygalperin.bsky.social, Dubnau labs and @thethormannden.bsky.social labs
(superb collaboration)
ComFB, a widespread family of c-di-NMP receptor proteins
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
(superb collaboration)
ComFB, a widespread family of c-di-NMP receptor proteins
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
Happy to share that our story on the bacterial archaellum was published today in @natmicrobiol.nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Congrats to the authors: @sshamphavi.bsky.social @loumollat.bsky.social @mariejoest.bsky.social Najwa Taib and @sgribaldo.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Congrats to the authors: @sshamphavi.bsky.social @loumollat.bsky.social @mariejoest.bsky.social Najwa Taib and @sgribaldo.bsky.social
September 17, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Happy to share that our story on the bacterial archaellum was published today in @natmicrobiol.nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Congrats to the authors: @sshamphavi.bsky.social @loumollat.bsky.social @mariejoest.bsky.social Najwa Taib and @sgribaldo.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Congrats to the authors: @sshamphavi.bsky.social @loumollat.bsky.social @mariejoest.bsky.social Najwa Taib and @sgribaldo.bsky.social
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
Willing to join us @pasteur.fr for a PhD for a project on how interactions between mobile genetic elements shape bacterial adaptation? Subject to be tailored to candidates with keen interest in evolution, genomics, computational biology, microbiology. Check www.pasteur.fr/en/education...
September 8, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Willing to join us @pasteur.fr for a PhD for a project on how interactions between mobile genetic elements shape bacterial adaptation? Subject to be tailored to candidates with keen interest in evolution, genomics, computational biology, microbiology. Check www.pasteur.fr/en/education...
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
A new theme issue of #PhilTransB examines the evolutionary history of bacterial immune systems, their modes of action, and the patterns how different bacterial immune systems are distributed across different ecosystems. Read: buff.ly/Z4qdxY1
September 5, 2025 at 4:01 PM
A new theme issue of #PhilTransB examines the evolutionary history of bacterial immune systems, their modes of action, and the patterns how different bacterial immune systems are distributed across different ecosystems. Read: buff.ly/Z4qdxY1
Morning stroll in early fall.
September 6, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Morning stroll in early fall.
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
How can we understand the earliest events in evolution of eukaryotic immunity? @yao-li.bsky.social reports incredible molecular fossils of complete bacterial-like operons in eukaryotes that illuminate how animal immunity was first acquired from anti-phage defense
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
September 5, 2025 at 10:13 AM
How can we understand the earliest events in evolution of eukaryotic immunity? @yao-li.bsky.social reports incredible molecular fossils of complete bacterial-like operons in eukaryotes that illuminate how animal immunity was first acquired from anti-phage defense
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
Excited about our most recent collaboration with the Wong lab, lead by William Schmidt, describing a T4P and CdrA-mediated mechanism of sensing surface EPS. Fun stuff and great work William and team.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
September 5, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Excited about our most recent collaboration with the Wong lab, lead by William Schmidt, describing a T4P and CdrA-mediated mechanism of sensing surface EPS. Fun stuff and great work William and team.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
Kin Recognition Systems and Their Role in Multicellular Behaviors
#AnnuRevMicrobiol by Karin Yaniv and Karine Gibbs @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social
four bacterial and eukaryotic microorganisms with collective migration where recognition is known or implied
www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
#AnnuRevMicrobiol by Karin Yaniv and Karine Gibbs @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social
four bacterial and eukaryotic microorganisms with collective migration where recognition is known or implied
www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
Kin Recognition Systems and Their Role in Multicellular Behaviors | Annual Reviews
Interactions between individuals are at the foundation of every community. Furthermore, multicellular behaviors can emerge when individuals come together. Microbes—bacteria, fungi, archaea, and parasi...
www.annualreviews.org
August 31, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Kin Recognition Systems and Their Role in Multicellular Behaviors
#AnnuRevMicrobiol by Karin Yaniv and Karine Gibbs @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social
four bacterial and eukaryotic microorganisms with collective migration where recognition is known or implied
www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
#AnnuRevMicrobiol by Karin Yaniv and Karine Gibbs @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social
four bacterial and eukaryotic microorganisms with collective migration where recognition is known or implied
www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
Preprint: We discovered phage proteins that sequester diverse immune signaling molecules, including cUMP, cCMP, and N7-cADPR
The first viral sponges to inhibit Pycsar and type IV Thoeris
Congrats to talented leading author Romi Hadary! Read her thread to learn more about our findings
The first viral sponges to inhibit Pycsar and type IV Thoeris
Congrats to talented leading author Romi Hadary! Read her thread to learn more about our findings
August 25, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Preprint: We discovered phage proteins that sequester diverse immune signaling molecules, including cUMP, cCMP, and N7-cADPR
The first viral sponges to inhibit Pycsar and type IV Thoeris
Congrats to talented leading author Romi Hadary! Read her thread to learn more about our findings
The first viral sponges to inhibit Pycsar and type IV Thoeris
Congrats to talented leading author Romi Hadary! Read her thread to learn more about our findings
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
🚨 Imagine a bacterium that refuses to follow the textbook:
It grows as tangled filaments, divides unevenly, reshapes its own membranes… and even builds grappling hooks.
Meet Litorilinea aerophila — and here’s why it blew our minds.
It grows as tangled filaments, divides unevenly, reshapes its own membranes… and even builds grappling hooks.
Meet Litorilinea aerophila — and here’s why it blew our minds.
August 20, 2025 at 10:34 AM
🚨 Imagine a bacterium that refuses to follow the textbook:
It grows as tangled filaments, divides unevenly, reshapes its own membranes… and even builds grappling hooks.
Meet Litorilinea aerophila — and here’s why it blew our minds.
It grows as tangled filaments, divides unevenly, reshapes its own membranes… and even builds grappling hooks.
Meet Litorilinea aerophila — and here’s why it blew our minds.
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
I am excited to announce that the position of a senior postdoc (3 +3 years) in the field of theoretical biology is available in my group.
The position provides the opportunity to closely interact with experimentalists and develop own research projects.
Please RT.
Details 👇:
shorturl.at/iiiOv
The position provides the opportunity to closely interact with experimentalists and develop own research projects.
Please RT.
Details 👇:
shorturl.at/iiiOv
116 FB 5 Research Assistant (m/f/d) field of Theoretical Ecology and Evolution or Computational Biology: Uni Osnabrück
shorturl.at
August 8, 2025 at 10:09 AM
I am excited to announce that the position of a senior postdoc (3 +3 years) in the field of theoretical biology is available in my group.
The position provides the opportunity to closely interact with experimentalists and develop own research projects.
Please RT.
Details 👇:
shorturl.at/iiiOv
The position provides the opportunity to closely interact with experimentalists and develop own research projects.
Please RT.
Details 👇:
shorturl.at/iiiOv
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
💥 Excited to introduce Bacformer 🦠 - the first foundation model for bacterial genomics. Bacformer represents genomes as sequences of ordered proteins, learning the “grammar” of how genes are arranged, interact and evolve.
Preprint 📝: biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧵 1/n
Preprint 📝: biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧵 1/n
July 21, 2025 at 9:56 AM
💥 Excited to introduce Bacformer 🦠 - the first foundation model for bacterial genomics. Bacformer represents genomes as sequences of ordered proteins, learning the “grammar” of how genes are arranged, interact and evolve.
Preprint 📝: biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧵 1/n
Preprint 📝: biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
🧵 1/n
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
We wrote a review on the free nucleotide pool as a central playground in human, bacterial, and plant immunity – now out in Nature Reviews in Immunology
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Was fun to write this piece with Dina Hochhauser!
Here is a thread to explain the premises
1/
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Was fun to write this piece with Dina Hochhauser!
Here is a thread to explain the premises
1/
Manipulation of the nucleotide pool in human, bacterial and plant immunity - Nature Reviews Immunology
Modification of the nucleotide pool is emerging as key to innate immunity in animals, plants and bacteria. This Review explains how immune pathways conserved from bacteria to humans manipulate the nuc...
www.nature.com
July 30, 2025 at 6:05 AM
We wrote a review on the free nucleotide pool as a central playground in human, bacterial, and plant immunity – now out in Nature Reviews in Immunology
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Was fun to write this piece with Dina Hochhauser!
Here is a thread to explain the premises
1/
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Was fun to write this piece with Dina Hochhauser!
Here is a thread to explain the premises
1/
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
#NatMicroPicks
Ancient Proteins, Modern Immune Insights! 🦠
A conserved protein family member activates inflammation via the Toll-like receptor pathway in mammals highlighting new aspects of human immunity.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Ancient Proteins, Modern Immune Insights! 🦠
A conserved protein family member activates inflammation via the Toll-like receptor pathway in mammals highlighting new aspects of human immunity.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
A human homolog of SIR2 antiphage proteins mediates immunity via the Toll-like receptor pathway
Key actors of mammalian immunity originated from bacterial antiphage systems. The full extent of immune system conservation between bacteria and eukaryotes is unknown. Here, we show that the silent in...
www.science.org
August 1, 2025 at 2:22 PM
#NatMicroPicks
Ancient Proteins, Modern Immune Insights! 🦠
A conserved protein family member activates inflammation via the Toll-like receptor pathway in mammals highlighting new aspects of human immunity.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Ancient Proteins, Modern Immune Insights! 🦠
A conserved protein family member activates inflammation via the Toll-like receptor pathway in mammals highlighting new aspects of human immunity.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
1/16 New pre-print from the Sternberg Lab!
We uncover how temperate phages can use RNA-guided transcription factors to remodel the flagellar composition of their bacterial host and enhance their fitness.
Find the preprint and full story here: tinyurl.com/mshwjd77
We uncover how temperate phages can use RNA-guided transcription factors to remodel the flagellar composition of their bacterial host and enhance their fitness.
Find the preprint and full story here: tinyurl.com/mshwjd77
July 24, 2025 at 7:58 PM
1/16 New pre-print from the Sternberg Lab!
We uncover how temperate phages can use RNA-guided transcription factors to remodel the flagellar composition of their bacterial host and enhance their fitness.
Find the preprint and full story here: tinyurl.com/mshwjd77
We uncover how temperate phages can use RNA-guided transcription factors to remodel the flagellar composition of their bacterial host and enhance their fitness.
Find the preprint and full story here: tinyurl.com/mshwjd77
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
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
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/...
Reposted by The Thormann Lab
🦠🧍♀️From bacterial to human immunity.
We report in @science.org the discovery of a human homolog of SIR2 antiphage proteins that participates in the TLR pathway of animal innate immunity.
Co-led wt @enzopoirier.bsky.social by D. Bonhomme and @hugovaysset.bsky.social
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
We report in @science.org the discovery of a human homolog of SIR2 antiphage proteins that participates in the TLR pathway of animal innate immunity.
Co-led wt @enzopoirier.bsky.social by D. Bonhomme and @hugovaysset.bsky.social
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org
July 24, 2025 at 6:23 PM
🦠🧍♀️From bacterial to human immunity.
We report in @science.org the discovery of a human homolog of SIR2 antiphage proteins that participates in the TLR pathway of animal innate immunity.
Co-led wt @enzopoirier.bsky.social by D. Bonhomme and @hugovaysset.bsky.social
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
We report in @science.org the discovery of a human homolog of SIR2 antiphage proteins that participates in the TLR pathway of animal innate immunity.
Co-led wt @enzopoirier.bsky.social by D. Bonhomme and @hugovaysset.bsky.social
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...