Jana Huisman
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jhuisman.bsky.social
Jana Huisman
@jhuisman.bsky.social
930 followers 330 following 27 posts
HFSP Postdoctoral Fellow at MIT | Mobile genetic elements and microbial communities
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jhuisman.bsky.social
In the course of this work, we generated an extensive dataset of "salinity performance curves" for more than 80 bacterial isolates (60 species). We find clear family-level patterns in the relation between max growth rate and salinity.

Stay tuned for more work on this in the near future! (5/5)
The figure from a paper, showing a phylogenetic tree on the left and a data matrix on the right. The phylogenetic tree depicts the relation between different marine bacteria, with choice clades highlighted in color. The data matrix shows the measured maximum growth rate as a function of medium salinity for each taxon.
August 25, 2025 at 2:33 PM
jhuisman.bsky.social
We demonstrate these dynamics in natural aquatic communities propagated in the lab, pairwise competitions between natural isolates, and in metagenomic data of communities sampled across salinity gradients in estuarine environments.

We find the same patterns across all these scales (4/5)
Part of Figure 3 of the described paper. Panel A shows an overview of the experimental strategy, highlighting that 2 species were combined at different ratios and propagated over 4 salinities for 7 cycles. Panels B and D show that the final abundance of the faster growing species was higher when propagated at high salinity than at low salinity. Panels C and E show the growth rates of the two competed species as a function of salinity and highlight how the community growth rate ever more approximates that of the faster growing species at higher salinity.
August 25, 2025 at 2:33 PM
jhuisman.bsky.social
This robustness of the community growth rate results from a shift in community composition towards species with higher growth rates at higher salinity.

Modeling shows that this is a general principle, expected for any stressor that reduces the growth rate of most species! (3/5)
Figure 2 of the described paper, showing the results of a Lotka-Volterra model with environmental mortality. As salinity increases, the relative abundance of the faster growing species at steady state increases. At the same time, the community growth rate starts to approximate the growth rate of the faster growing species more and more.
August 25, 2025 at 2:33 PM
jhuisman.bsky.social
A great collaboration that would not have been possible without Shotaro Torii, Htet Kyi Wynn, Irene Voellmy, Michael Huber, @charliegan.bsky.social, @trj2.bsky.social and @viralexplorers.bsky.social
The first Figure of the paper, showing the longitudinal measurements of wastewater viral loads for Norovirus, Enterovirus and SARS-CoV-2. Also shown is the incidence of clinical cases during the same timeperiod. Arrows indicate when the stringency of non-pharmaceutical interventions (shown in panel B) either increased or decreased.
August 22, 2025 at 3:03 PM
jhuisman.bsky.social
Our opinion piece on transmission timing in phages and plasmids graces the cover of @cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social this month. Featuring the work of talented master student Andrina Bernhard, the illustration showcases cues that MGEs use to switch between horizontal and vertical transmission.
The cover of the May issue of Trends in Microbiology, featuring several cells with cartoon figures of phages and plasmids listening to environmental cues, e.g. by fishing for signaling molecules outside their host or staring at an empty pantry shelf.
May 8, 2025 at 1:23 PM
jhuisman.bsky.social
Killed by punctuation
January 17, 2025 at 5:40 PM
jhuisman.bsky.social
Curious suggestion from the AI today
A google query "how to dispose of antibiotic containing media?" and the AI answer "To dispose of antibiotic-containing media, mix it with an undesirable substance like used coffee grounds or cat litter, seal it in a plastic bag, and throw it in the regular trash"
January 17, 2025 at 5:38 PM
jhuisman.bsky.social
We take inspiration from classic virulence-transmission tradeoff theory of parasite evolution to identify environmental factors that shift the balance between horizontal and vertical transmission: i) host availability ii) host physiology iii) competitors. (3/7)
A figure with two panels. Panel A shows three pictograms highlighting environmental factors that affect transmission strategies: host density, host physiology and competitors. Panel B shows three schematic plots of the effect these factors have on transmission: high host density favors horizontal transmission, the response to host growth growth rate differs between phage and plasmids but high growth rates generally favor horizontal transmission, and the effect of competitors depends on their relatedness as well as the competition or collaboration present in coinfection.
October 22, 2024 at 2:58 PM