Henri Voedts
@hvoedts.bsky.social
Postdoctoral scientist in the Collet Lab in Brussels.
EMBO fellow. Bacterial cell envelope. Antibiotics. PhD from the
Arthur lab in Paris. 🧫🧬💊
EMBO fellow. Bacterial cell envelope. Antibiotics. PhD from the
Arthur lab in Paris. 🧫🧬💊
Reposted by Henri Voedts
The diderm cell envelope is not a stack of layers but a unified scaffold of Inner Membrane–Peptidoglycan–Outer Membrane.
We discuss how tethering the OM to the PG in E. coli preserves integrity — and extend the concept across diderm bacteria.
Curr Opin Microbiol: doi.org/10.1016/j.mi...
#microsky 🔬
We discuss how tethering the OM to the PG in E. coli preserves integrity — and extend the concept across diderm bacteria.
Curr Opin Microbiol: doi.org/10.1016/j.mi...
#microsky 🔬
Redirecting
doi.org
November 13, 2025 at 12:17 PM
The diderm cell envelope is not a stack of layers but a unified scaffold of Inner Membrane–Peptidoglycan–Outer Membrane.
We discuss how tethering the OM to the PG in E. coli preserves integrity — and extend the concept across diderm bacteria.
Curr Opin Microbiol: doi.org/10.1016/j.mi...
#microsky 🔬
We discuss how tethering the OM to the PG in E. coli preserves integrity — and extend the concept across diderm bacteria.
Curr Opin Microbiol: doi.org/10.1016/j.mi...
#microsky 🔬
Reposted by Henri Voedts
Proud of our new study out in @cp-cellreports.bsky.social!
Using E. coli lacking all 8 endopeptidases, we provide direct evidence that peptidoglycan expansion during elongation requires ED-mediated insertion of one glycan strand at a time. This can be performed by MepS, MepM, MepH and PBP7 #microsky
Using E. coli lacking all 8 endopeptidases, we provide direct evidence that peptidoglycan expansion during elongation requires ED-mediated insertion of one glycan strand at a time. This can be performed by MepS, MepM, MepH and PBP7 #microsky
Role of endopeptidases in lateral cell wall expansion in Escherichia coli
Peptidoglycan, the major constituent of bacterial cell walls, is a giant macromolecule made of glycan strands cross-linked by short peptides, which pr…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 8, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Proud of our new study out in @cp-cellreports.bsky.social!
Using E. coli lacking all 8 endopeptidases, we provide direct evidence that peptidoglycan expansion during elongation requires ED-mediated insertion of one glycan strand at a time. This can be performed by MepS, MepM, MepH and PBP7 #microsky
Using E. coli lacking all 8 endopeptidases, we provide direct evidence that peptidoglycan expansion during elongation requires ED-mediated insertion of one glycan strand at a time. This can be performed by MepS, MepM, MepH and PBP7 #microsky
Reposted by Henri Voedts
Finally out, such an awesome piece of work, very proud of this one: www.cell.com/cell-systems... #MicroSky
October 4, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Finally out, such an awesome piece of work, very proud of this one: www.cell.com/cell-systems... #MicroSky
Reposted by Henri Voedts
Our paper on the Bacteroidota BAM complex is out in @natmicrobiol.nature.com! With @madejmar.bsky.social
We found that BAM in Bacteroides and Porphyromonas gingivalis has a distinct architecture from BAM in Proteobacteria.
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
We found that BAM in Bacteroides and Porphyromonas gingivalis has a distinct architecture from BAM in Proteobacteria.
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Structure of a distinct β-barrel assembly machinery complex in the Bacteroidota - Nature Microbiology
Structural and functional characterization of the β-barrel assembly machinery complex in Bacteroidota reveals a distinct, seven-component complex with a large extracellular domain that may enable β-barrel–surface lipoprotein complex assembly.
doi.org
October 2, 2025 at 6:20 AM
Our paper on the Bacteroidota BAM complex is out in @natmicrobiol.nature.com! With @madejmar.bsky.social
We found that BAM in Bacteroides and Porphyromonas gingivalis has a distinct architecture from BAM in Proteobacteria.
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
We found that BAM in Bacteroides and Porphyromonas gingivalis has a distinct architecture from BAM in Proteobacteria.
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Reposted by Henri Voedts
Dual transposon sequencing profiles the genetic interaction landscape in bacteria | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Dual transposon sequencing profiles the genetic interaction landscape in bacteria
Gene redundancy complicates systematic characterization of gene function as single-gene deletions may not produce discernible phenotypes. We report dual transposon sequencing (dual Tn-seq), a platform...
www.science.org
September 25, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Dual transposon sequencing profiles the genetic interaction landscape in bacteria | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Henri Voedts
Nice work on tackling genetic interactions in the pneumococcus! If you like this, you will also like our work doing the same thing using dual CRISPRi. Coming soon in @cp-cellsystems.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
September 26, 2025 at 7:07 AM
Nice work on tackling genetic interactions in the pneumococcus! If you like this, you will also like our work doing the same thing using dual CRISPRi. Coming soon in @cp-cellsystems.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Henri Voedts
And that’s a wrap on the Great Wall Symposium 2025!
Roll on 2027, venue to be confirmed shortly …
Roll on 2027, venue to be confirmed shortly …
September 17, 2025 at 6:29 PM
And that’s a wrap on the Great Wall Symposium 2025!
Roll on 2027, venue to be confirmed shortly …
Roll on 2027, venue to be confirmed shortly …
Reposted by Henri Voedts
It's finally here: PneumoWiki! A great complement to PneumoBrowse 2.0. Essential tools for pneumococcal research, congrats to the Greifswald team! #MicroSky
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
PneumoWiki: A pan-genome-based database for the pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae
The Gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major human pathogen that exhibits more than 100 different capsular serotypes and considerable genomic variation. S. pneumoniae is also an imp...
www.biorxiv.org
September 8, 2025 at 7:33 AM
It's finally here: PneumoWiki! A great complement to PneumoBrowse 2.0. Essential tools for pneumococcal research, congrats to the Greifswald team! #MicroSky
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Henri Voedts
🚨New paper out! #MicroSky
Studying obligate predators like Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is tricky—essential genes for predation are also essential for survival.
We expanded its genetic toolbox:
🧬promoters to fine-tune expression
🧬IPTG-inducible system
🧬CRISPRi for rapid knockdown
bit.ly/46GUn2c
1/4
Studying obligate predators like Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is tricky—essential genes for predation are also essential for survival.
We expanded its genetic toolbox:
🧬promoters to fine-tune expression
🧬IPTG-inducible system
🧬CRISPRi for rapid knockdown
bit.ly/46GUn2c
1/4
Expanding the genetic toolbox of the obligate predatory bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus with inducible gene expression and CRISPR interference
Inducible gene expression and CRISPR interference-mediated depletion in the predatory bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus.
academic.oup.com
September 17, 2025 at 7:27 AM
🚨New paper out! #MicroSky
Studying obligate predators like Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is tricky—essential genes for predation are also essential for survival.
We expanded its genetic toolbox:
🧬promoters to fine-tune expression
🧬IPTG-inducible system
🧬CRISPRi for rapid knockdown
bit.ly/46GUn2c
1/4
Studying obligate predators like Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is tricky—essential genes for predation are also essential for survival.
We expanded its genetic toolbox:
🧬promoters to fine-tune expression
🧬IPTG-inducible system
🧬CRISPRi for rapid knockdown
bit.ly/46GUn2c
1/4
Reposted by Henri Voedts
Bacterial cell widening alters periplasmic size and activates envelope stress responses
Kerwyn Huang, @typaslab.bsky.social et al find that E. coli outer-membrane protein RcsF senses reduced periplasm thickness due to increased cell width, & activates Rcs signaling
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Kerwyn Huang, @typaslab.bsky.social et al find that E. coli outer-membrane protein RcsF senses reduced periplasm thickness due to increased cell width, & activates Rcs signaling
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
September 4, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Bacterial cell widening alters periplasmic size and activates envelope stress responses
Kerwyn Huang, @typaslab.bsky.social et al find that E. coli outer-membrane protein RcsF senses reduced periplasm thickness due to increased cell width, & activates Rcs signaling
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Kerwyn Huang, @typaslab.bsky.social et al find that E. coli outer-membrane protein RcsF senses reduced periplasm thickness due to increased cell width, & activates Rcs signaling
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Henri Voedts
#Archaea sometimes turn against #Bacteria using hitherto unknown mechanisms. @apapageorgiou.bsky.social & @precambriangoat.bsky.social explore a @plosbiology.org study that reveals bacterium-killing peptidoglycan hydrolases in archaea 🧪 Paper: plos.io/4lrJBBa Primer: plos.io/3HGMYpU
August 19, 2025 at 8:04 AM
#Archaea sometimes turn against #Bacteria using hitherto unknown mechanisms. @apapageorgiou.bsky.social & @precambriangoat.bsky.social explore a @plosbiology.org study that reveals bacterium-killing peptidoglycan hydrolases in archaea 🧪 Paper: plos.io/4lrJBBa Primer: plos.io/3HGMYpU
Reposted by Henri Voedts
Archaea-on-bacteria action! @romainstrock.bsky.social @tobiaswarnecke.bsky.social &co show that many #archaea encode #peptidoglycan hydrolases, which specifically target #bacterial cell walls, experimentally confirming the killing capacity of 2 of these enzymes @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4lrJBBa
August 15, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Archaea-on-bacteria action! @romainstrock.bsky.social @tobiaswarnecke.bsky.social &co show that many #archaea encode #peptidoglycan hydrolases, which specifically target #bacterial cell walls, experimentally confirming the killing capacity of 2 of these enzymes @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4lrJBBa
Reposted by Henri Voedts
#microsky
We challenge the long-standing view that peptidoglycan alone protects cells from bursting.
Our study shows that the periplasm — enclosed by OM–PG connections — acts as a pressure buffer essential for osmoprotection in Gram-negative bacteria.
📄 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We challenge the long-standing view that peptidoglycan alone protects cells from bursting.
Our study shows that the periplasm — enclosed by OM–PG connections — acts as a pressure buffer essential for osmoprotection in Gram-negative bacteria.
📄 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Peptidoglycan–outer membrane attachment generates periplasmic pressure to prevent lysis in Gram-negative bacteria - Nature Microbiology
Outer membrane attachment to peptidoglycan enables periplasmic pressure to build up and counter cytoplasmic turgor pressure, preventing lysis during osmotic challenges in Escherichia coli.
www.nature.com
July 29, 2025 at 1:23 PM
#microsky
We challenge the long-standing view that peptidoglycan alone protects cells from bursting.
Our study shows that the periplasm — enclosed by OM–PG connections — acts as a pressure buffer essential for osmoprotection in Gram-negative bacteria.
📄 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We challenge the long-standing view that peptidoglycan alone protects cells from bursting.
Our study shows that the periplasm — enclosed by OM–PG connections — acts as a pressure buffer essential for osmoprotection in Gram-negative bacteria.
📄 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Henri Voedts
Excited to present our new study on the mechanism of lateral peptidoglycan expansion in B. subtilis. We combined microscopy visualisation with clickable D-Ala-D-Ala analogues and stable-isotope peptidoglycan labelling to describe an inside-to-outside expansion model @natcomms.nature.com.
Mechanism of lateral cell-wall expansion at a constant diameter in Bacillus subtilis
Nature Communications - In Escherichia coli, lateral cell-wall expansion during growth occurs by crosslinking of new glycan chains to the existing peptidoglycan network. Here, Liang et al. show a...
rdcu.be
July 25, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Excited to present our new study on the mechanism of lateral peptidoglycan expansion in B. subtilis. We combined microscopy visualisation with clickable D-Ala-D-Ala analogues and stable-isotope peptidoglycan labelling to describe an inside-to-outside expansion model @natcomms.nature.com.
Reposted by Henri Voedts
Thrilled to announce our new paper with M. Ethève-Quelquejeu's lab @upcite.bsky.social published @chemistryeurope.bsky.social! We report on the synthesis, and testing by HRMS, of new β-lactam prodrugs, a proof of concept for designing drugs targetting specifically β-lactamase-producing pathogens.
Optimization of Prodrug Activation by Enzymatic Cleavage of the β‐lactam Ring of Carbapenems
We report synthetic routes that yield prodrugs consisting of two carbapenems connected by benzyl carbonate linkers. A mass spectrometry assay was elaborated to monitor, in a single kinetic experiment...
doi.org
July 25, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Thrilled to announce our new paper with M. Ethève-Quelquejeu's lab @upcite.bsky.social published @chemistryeurope.bsky.social! We report on the synthesis, and testing by HRMS, of new β-lactam prodrugs, a proof of concept for designing drugs targetting specifically β-lactamase-producing pathogens.
Reposted by Henri Voedts
#MicroSky Summer read!
Predatory bacteria kill and eat other bacteria. Their deadly actions come in many flavors, often via direct physical contact between predator &
prey 🧛
How do they do it?
Our review 📖 @coralietesseur.bsky.social @ysantin.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Predatory bacteria kill and eat other bacteria. Their deadly actions come in many flavors, often via direct physical contact between predator &
prey 🧛
How do they do it?
Our review 📖 @coralietesseur.bsky.social @ysantin.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Strategies and mechanisms of contact-dependent predation in bacteria
Predatory bacteria kill other bacteria to acquire nutrients. Among diverse strategies to kill and feed on prey, contact-dependent predation stands out…
www.sciencedirect.com
July 25, 2025 at 4:59 PM
#MicroSky Summer read!
Predatory bacteria kill and eat other bacteria. Their deadly actions come in many flavors, often via direct physical contact between predator &
prey 🧛
How do they do it?
Our review 📖 @coralietesseur.bsky.social @ysantin.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Predatory bacteria kill and eat other bacteria. Their deadly actions come in many flavors, often via direct physical contact between predator &
prey 🧛
How do they do it?
Our review 📖 @coralietesseur.bsky.social @ysantin.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Henri Voedts
You thought all OMPs were trimeric? 🧐 Not in our predator B. bacteriovorus! 🦠
Excited to have contributed to this great collab with the Lovering lab on this intriguing protein. @lalouxlab.bsky.social
👉 Paper here!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#BacterialPredation #Bdellovibrio #StructuralBiology
Excited to have contributed to this great collab with the Lovering lab on this intriguing protein. @lalouxlab.bsky.social
👉 Paper here!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#BacterialPredation #Bdellovibrio #StructuralBiology
A porin-like protein used by bacterial predators defines a wider lipid-trapping superfamily - Nature Communications
This study reveals that an outer membrane protein from the predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus forms a pentameric assembly that traps a lipid monolayer within. This allows the discovery of two superfa...
www.nature.com
July 7, 2025 at 6:58 AM
You thought all OMPs were trimeric? 🧐 Not in our predator B. bacteriovorus! 🦠
Excited to have contributed to this great collab with the Lovering lab on this intriguing protein. @lalouxlab.bsky.social
👉 Paper here!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#BacterialPredation #Bdellovibrio #StructuralBiology
Excited to have contributed to this great collab with the Lovering lab on this intriguing protein. @lalouxlab.bsky.social
👉 Paper here!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#BacterialPredation #Bdellovibrio #StructuralBiology
Reposted by Henri Voedts
Here our new preprint on the LPS holo-translocon doi.org/10.1101/2025... , collaboration with Yves Quentin @JulieMarcoux @fronzeslab.bsky.social @pstansfeld.bsky.social - @cbitoulouse.bsky.social
Structural Basis of Lipopolysaccharide Assembly by the Outer Membrane Translocon Holo-Complex
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) assembly at the surfaces-exposed leaflet of the bacterial outer membrane (OM) is mediated by the OM LPS translocon. An essential transmembrane beta-barrel protein, LptD, and a...
doi.org
April 11, 2025 at 6:11 AM
Here our new preprint on the LPS holo-translocon doi.org/10.1101/2025... , collaboration with Yves Quentin @JulieMarcoux @fronzeslab.bsky.social @pstansfeld.bsky.social - @cbitoulouse.bsky.social
Reposted by Henri Voedts
New preprint 🚨: with @madejmar.bsky.social we found that the Bacteroidetes beta-barrel assembly machinery is quite different to E. coli. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... #cryo-EM
February 3, 2025 at 8:52 AM
New preprint 🚨: with @madejmar.bsky.social we found that the Bacteroidetes beta-barrel assembly machinery is quite different to E. coli. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... #cryo-EM
Reposted by Henri Voedts
Please repost!!!!!
Abstraction submission for the next Great Wall Symposium is now open!
Come to Sicily in September and learn the latest on bacterial cell wall biology.
thegreatwall-symposium.org/abstract-sub...
Abstraction submission for the next Great Wall Symposium is now open!
Come to Sicily in September and learn the latest on bacterial cell wall biology.
thegreatwall-symposium.org/abstract-sub...
Pre-registration and Abstract Submission - The Greatwall-symposium
Registration and abstract submission open on January 15th, 2025.The organizers will select the final list of participants based on abstract submission, particularly for young scientist, and the applic...
thegreatwall-symposium.org
January 17, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Please repost!!!!!
Abstraction submission for the next Great Wall Symposium is now open!
Come to Sicily in September and learn the latest on bacterial cell wall biology.
thegreatwall-symposium.org/abstract-sub...
Abstraction submission for the next Great Wall Symposium is now open!
Come to Sicily in September and learn the latest on bacterial cell wall biology.
thegreatwall-symposium.org/abstract-sub...
Reposted by Henri Voedts
Really interesting piece by @philipcball.bsky.social, on the surprisingly early origins (apparently) of the Last Universal Common Ancestor www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
Luca is the progenitor of all life on Earth. But its genesis has implications far beyond our planet
New research into the single-celled organism is providing clues about what the early planet looked like – and raising the prospect that we may not be alone in the universe
www.theguardian.com
January 20, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Really interesting piece by @philipcball.bsky.social, on the surprisingly early origins (apparently) of the Last Universal Common Ancestor www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
Reposted by Henri Voedts
Very excited to share our work on (p)ppGpp-mediated resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics published in Nature Microbiology!! A great outcome for a project we started working on 5 years ago. A big thank you to all authors that participated in this study!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
(p)ppGpp modifies RNAP function to confer β-lactam resistance in a peptidoglycan-independent manner - Nature Microbiology
The bacterial alarmone (p)ppGpp induces β-lactam resistance through modification of RNA polymerase and ribosome function rather than regulation of peptidoglycan metabolism in Escherichia coli.
www.nature.com
January 21, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Very excited to share our work on (p)ppGpp-mediated resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics published in Nature Microbiology!! A great outcome for a project we started working on 5 years ago. A big thank you to all authors that participated in this study!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...