Matt Barber
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biobarber.bsky.social
Matt Barber
@biobarber.bsky.social
Associate Professor at the University of Oregon. Microbes, evolution, and infectious disease.
Dad and husband.
barberlab.org
Reposted by Matt Barber
The Rowley/Ytreberg/Patel labs at UI have led a multidisciplinary study to characterize a new yeast toxin! Published in the ASM's flagship Journal - mBio. Eight undergraduate authors contributed to the study, a great team effort! journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... @uidaho.bsky.social
The Saccharomyces killer toxin K62 is a protein of the aerolysin family | mBio
Pore-forming toxins are potent biological weapons used across nature, from virulence factors to immune defense proteins. This study identifies K62, a little-known antifungal toxin produced by a wild y...
journals.asm.org
November 13, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Reposted by Matt Barber
We have a funded NERC PhD studentship!

Selfish X chromosomes are these bizarre things where males carrying the selfish X suffer from imploding testes. Lots to do in this space, especially in evolutionary, stress, and infection biology.

Please share!

#PhDchat #AcademicSky @uniexecec.bsky.social
November 15, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Going to break my social media hiatus for a belated congratulations to @kdc509.bsky.social on an outstanding thesis defense last week! I cannot say enough good things about Killian - an amazing scientist and human being.
November 15, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Reposted by Matt Barber
We are looking for a postdoc to study single-cell transcriptional heterogeneity in the human skin microbiome.

We have a new protocol mostly developed, but need someone to see it through. Experience with protocol dev or RNAseq appreciated.

Funded by a new grant from MIT-HEALS.
September 12, 2025 at 4:49 PM
🚨Job alert!🚨

We are looking for a new lab manager to join our group at the University of Oregon! Applicants with experience in microbiology, evolutionary genetics, or protein biochemistry are especially encouraged to apply. See the link below for more information: barberlab.org/contact/
Contact
View of the University of Oregon campus from nearby Hendricks Park Lab Address:322 Pacific Hall5289 University of OregonEugene, OR 97403 Lab Phone:541-346-1537 Joining the lab Lab Manager: We are c…
barberlab.org
September 12, 2025 at 7:20 PM
🚨Job alert!🚨

We are looking for a new lab manager to join our group at the University of Oregon! Applicants with experience in microbiology, evolutionary genetics, or protein biochemistry are especially encouraged to apply. See the link below for more information: barberlab.org/contact/
Contact
View of the University of Oregon campus from nearby Hendricks Park Lab Address:322 Pacific Hall5289 University of OregonEugene, OR 97403 Lab Phone:541-346-1537 Joining the lab Lab Manager: We are c…
barberlab.org
September 12, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Reposted by Matt Barber
#Microsky 🦠 🧪
September 8, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Reposted by Matt Barber
The “problem” with vaccines? They so effective at preventing deaths that they create generations of people that question whether disease was a problem in the first place because they have never experienced the horrors of a world without vaccines.
September 4, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Reposted by Matt Barber
✨ Exciting News ✨I am thrilled to share that I have accepted a position as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology (IDM), at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health!
September 3, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Reposted by Matt Barber
I am honored to be named an ASM Distinguished Lecturer! Looking forward to participating in upcoming ASM Branch Meetings and supporting our next generation of microbiologists.
ASM Distinguished and Waksman Foundation Lecturer Roster
ASM is a nonprofit professional society that publishes scientific journals and advances microbiology through advocacy, global health and diversity in STEM programs.
asm.org
September 1, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Reposted by Matt Barber
I am delighted to announce that the UW Department of Biochemistry has opened searches for TWO tenure-track positions.

Descriptions and links in the following two posts.
August 28, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Reposted by Matt Barber
Excited to announce a search for an Associate or Full Professor in Infectious Disease Modeling at Penn State's Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics. Details at link and below.

psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/PSU_Ac...
Full or Associate Professor in Infectious Disease Modeling
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, a...
psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
August 26, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Reposted by Matt Barber
Excited to share the most recent work from our lab! In which we seek out the cellular source of homeostatic IFNL in the gut and find that gut pDC are ‘rewired’ to produce IFNL over type I IFNs.
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells in the intestine preferentially produce interferon lambda at homeostasis contributing to tonic localized innate immune responses https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.25.672167v1
August 30, 2025 at 1:35 AM
Reposted by Matt Barber
We're hiring in my Division of Berkeley MCB. Come be my new colleague!
We're Hiring! Assistant Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine in MCB. Learn more and apply online:
aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05096
August 22, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Excited to share the latest work by outstanding PhD student @kdc509.bsky.social. This was one of our first forays into experimental evolution and uncovered some cool connections between potassium transport and antimicrobial resistance in S. aureus. Major kudos to Killian!
Evolution of polyamine resistance in Staphylococcus aureus through modulation of potassium transport | mSphere
Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of infectious disease-related deaths globally. Understanding factors that govern adaptation and survival of S. aureus and other pathogens in the host environme...
journals.asm.org
August 22, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Reposted by Matt Barber
Bittersweet to be leaving @docedge.bsky.social after a wonderful postdoc, but excited to share that I'm joining @uoregon.bsky.social next month as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Data Science.
August 6, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Reposted by Matt Barber
My Department (Biology) at @dartmouthartsci.bsky.social is hiring this year! We have an opening for a Tenure Track Cell and/or Molecular biologist (broadly defined).

Please share with your trainees/labmates/friends and reach out if you have questions.

apply.interfolio.com/171625
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
August 14, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Reposted by Matt Barber
this work saved millions of lives in 2021, won the Nobel Prize in 2023, and is cancelled in 2025
"The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced the beginning of a coordinated wind-down of its mRNA vaccine development activities...."

cc: Sen. Bill Cassidy
August 5, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Reposted by Matt Barber
Super excited to share our paper online 🚨today🚨 in Cell Host & Microbe‬! Xiaomei Ren @xiaomeiren.bsky.social and Mason Clark @rmasonclark.bsky.social‬ co-led discovery of ecological factors for Acinetobacter baumannii carriage in the gut, a reservoir for pathogen spread. 🎉

tinyurl.com/443kfefk
August 4, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Reposted by Matt Barber
Excited to have our new mini review on Microbiome Metabolism out today in I&I as part of the @asm.org New Voices in Microbiology collection! Check it out!

🧫🧪

journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Infections as ecosystems: community metabolic interactions in microbial pathogenesis | Infection and Immunity
Microbial communities are present on nearly every surface of the human body. These microbiomes exist as dynamic ecosystems that are influenced by heterogeneous nutritional and chemical landscapes, the...
journals.asm.org
August 4, 2025 at 4:36 PM
This week we said farewell to the amazing @caitlinkowa.bsky.social as she moves to start her new lab at Dartmouth. So grateful for all her leadership and mentoring the last few years.

If you’re interested in all things skin microbes (especially fungi) check out her lab! I can’t recommend enough.
HOME
Visit the post for more.
caitlinkowalski.com
August 1, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Reposted by Matt Barber
Exciting news! I am launching the Lab of Polymicrobial Interaction & Evolution at IPMB at Academia Sinica (ipmb.sinica.edu.tw/en)! 🎉Our brand-new website is live: (www.labofpie.org). Check the lab of PIE out!!🥧🎈
IPMB | 中央研究院植物暨微生物學研究所
ipmb.sinica.edu.tw
July 10, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Reposted by Matt Barber
Excited to post our first S. aureus preprint on biorxiv! Big congrats to co-first authors, postdocs @anjali20anil.bsky.social and Rezia Braza, and really enjoyed the collaboration with @torreslab.bsky.social !
Staphylococcus aureus exhibits spatiotemporal heterogeneity in Sae activity during kidney abscess development https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.08.663646v1
July 10, 2025 at 1:17 AM
Reposted by Matt Barber
BPP @ Oregon State is hiring an open rank tenure track position in any area of plant systematics, ecology, and evolution and to direct our herbarium. Come join us in a great department and beautiful Oregon! bpp.oregonstate.edu/bpp/about/op...
July 9, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Reposted by Matt Barber
Looking forward to seeing everyone, new and old, at the Microbial Population Biology GRS + GRC in just a couple days!

go.bsky.app/GGxRjzC
July 3, 2025 at 8:25 PM