Alex Ensminger
@legionella.bsky.social
Associate Professor, University of Toronto
Depts of Biochemistry, Molecular Genetics
Legionella, Metaeffectors, Phage, Toxin-Antitoxin systems
Former Tufts Postdoc, MIT PhD
My id lives on a lake north of Ann Arbor, Michigan
ensmingerlab.com
Depts of Biochemistry, Molecular Genetics
Legionella, Metaeffectors, Phage, Toxin-Antitoxin systems
Former Tufts Postdoc, MIT PhD
My id lives on a lake north of Ann Arbor, Michigan
ensmingerlab.com
The boat and dock are out of the water :( but had a nice weekend in Michigan. Thanks to @farmgirlphd.bsky.social, expert boat driver.
September 15, 2025 at 6:01 PM
The boat and dock are out of the water :( but had a nice weekend in Michigan. Thanks to @farmgirlphd.bsky.social, expert boat driver.
Sorry for the late reply @superbug-slayer.bsky.social @roblavigne.bsky.social. Here's a Legionella phage & it likely shaped the emergence of Legionnaires' in the first place! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... (cryoEM w/ @smlea.bsky.social @justindeme.bsky.social). #phage #legionella #legionnaires
September 3, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Sorry for the late reply @superbug-slayer.bsky.social @roblavigne.bsky.social. Here's a Legionella phage & it likely shaped the emergence of Legionnaires' in the first place! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... (cryoEM w/ @smlea.bsky.social @justindeme.bsky.social). #phage #legionella #legionnaires
From outside the Isberg lab, circa 2010. Artist unknown.
August 28, 2025 at 1:32 AM
From outside the Isberg lab, circa 2010. Artist unknown.
Independence Lake, Michigan - Aug 26, 2025.
August 27, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Independence Lake, Michigan - Aug 26, 2025.
Adventures in owning a 32-yo Malibu Flightcraft...
You don't need to be a boat mechanic to guess which of these water pump impellers was old, which is new, and why the engine was overheating last week.
Also, thanks to Amazon.com and youtube, I had the boat running again in less than 24 hours.
You don't need to be a boat mechanic to guess which of these water pump impellers was old, which is new, and why the engine was overheating last week.
Also, thanks to Amazon.com and youtube, I had the boat running again in less than 24 hours.
August 15, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Adventures in owning a 32-yo Malibu Flightcraft...
You don't need to be a boat mechanic to guess which of these water pump impellers was old, which is new, and why the engine was overheating last week.
Also, thanks to Amazon.com and youtube, I had the boat running again in less than 24 hours.
You don't need to be a boat mechanic to guess which of these water pump impellers was old, which is new, and why the engine was overheating last week.
Also, thanks to Amazon.com and youtube, I had the boat running again in less than 24 hours.
Newest data from the lab. In a blind taste test between Arnott's TimTam from Australia and Trader Joe's "Aussie-style chocolate creme sandwich cookies" made in the Netherlands, the TJ ones were preferred 7 to 1 with myself as the lone dissent.
June 13, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Newest data from the lab. In a blind taste test between Arnott's TimTam from Australia and Trader Joe's "Aussie-style chocolate creme sandwich cookies" made in the Netherlands, the TJ ones were preferred 7 to 1 with myself as the lone dissent.
That feeling when you dig up a piece of data you generated and send it to someone in your lab, only to realize it was 17 years ago (2008) that you took the image...
May 29, 2025 at 6:55 PM
That feeling when you dig up a piece of data you generated and send it to someone in your lab, only to realize it was 17 years ago (2008) that you took the image...
Today's Darwin award goes to Monster Truck Snail*.
(* No snails were crushed in the end, I carefully removed it).
(* No snails were crushed in the end, I carefully removed it).
May 14, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Today's Darwin award goes to Monster Truck Snail*.
(* No snails were crushed in the end, I carefully removed it).
(* No snails were crushed in the end, I carefully removed it).
This is Gilbert (Gilly). His advice for happiness is to find a basket with a heating pad in it. Sending lots of ❤️ from 🇨🇦.
May 8, 2025 at 2:01 AM
This is Gilbert (Gilly). His advice for happiness is to find a basket with a heating pad in it. Sending lots of ❤️ from 🇨🇦.
Hey, Canadian Micro people, time to fly your 🇨🇦 proud and join/renew your membership in the Canadian Society of Microbiologists. csm-scm.org/membership/
February 3, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Hey, Canadian Micro people, time to fly your 🇨🇦 proud and join/renew your membership in the Canadian Society of Microbiologists. csm-scm.org/membership/
Very cool. I made one minor tweak... :)
November 26, 2024 at 12:35 AM
Very cool. I made one minor tweak... :)
Congrats to Dr. Jordan Lin, who defended his Ph.D. on Friday (and will be looking for postdocs in the new year)! Many thanks to @labxc.bsky.social for serving as the external. It was a great few days and I'm already looking forward to mapping out new experiments based on our discussions.
December 17, 2023 at 2:36 AM
Congrats to Dr. Jordan Lin, who defended his Ph.D. on Friday (and will be looking for postdocs in the new year)! Many thanks to @labxc.bsky.social for serving as the external. It was a great few days and I'm already looking forward to mapping out new experiments based on our discussions.