Mona Johannessen
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monaj66.bsky.social
Mona Johannessen
@monaj66.bsky.social
Professor and leader of Research group for Host-Microbe Interaction at UiT-The Arctic University of Norway. Views are my own.
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
S. aureus has an intrinsic rifampicin resistance mechanism! See the recent study by M. Otto's lab with important clinical implications:

Export by a quorum sensing–controlled drug exporter underlies rifampicin’s strong activity against staphylococcal biofilms | www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Export by a quorum sensing–controlled drug exporter underlies rifampicin’s strong activity against staphylococcal biofilms
Rifampicin is more effective against biofilm infections because it targets biofilm-forming mutants that are highly resistant to other antibiotics.
www.science.org
November 10, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
Growing Staphylococcus aureus in Synthetic Cystic Fibrosis Medium Promotes Colonization in a Murine Pneumonia Model https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.14.682363v1
October 15, 2025 at 3:17 AM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
Delighted to share our latest paper - A host-directed adjuvant sensitizes intracellular bacterial persisters to antibiotics. Excellently led by Dr. Kuan-Yi Lu. We think it's a great proof-of-concept that altering immune cell behavior can make antibiotics work better www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A host-directed adjuvant sensitizes intracellular bacterial persisters to antibiotics - Nature Microbiology
The authors developed a screen to find compounds that modulate intracellular Staphylococcus aureus metabolism and discovered KL1, which sensitizes persisters to antibiotics by reversing host-induced tolerance.
www.nature.com
October 10, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
Thinking about a postdoc in microbiome science?
Our lab at the MPI for Biology (Tübingen) builds on the culture I established at Cornell: collaborative, creative, and internationally diverse. Postdocs lead their own projects with secure funding. Join us!
#PostdocJobs #HostMicrobe #AcademicJobs
October 4, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
#NewResearch

Nasal colonisation by S. aureus is linked with depression in a human cohort and shown in a mouse model to cause decreased serotonin and dopamine in the brain

#MicroSky #Depression

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Nasal Staphylococcus aureus carriage promotes depressive behaviour in mice via sex hormone degradation - Nature Microbiology
Nasal colonization by Staphylococcus aureus is linked with depression in a human cohort and shown in a mouse model to cause decreased serotonin and dopamine in the brain.
www.nature.com
September 22, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
New in Nat Comm

Pathogenic E. coli use protein FimH to grab onto the gut lining

New microgels mimic the mannose binding sites—acting as “decoys” to drag bacteria away and protect the intestine in IBD

Adherent-invasive E. coli (AIEC), enriched in Crohn’s disease, are a key target for this strategy
Fishing out AIEC with FimH capturing microgels for inflammatory bowel disease treatment - Nature Communications
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic immune-mediated condition. This study presents a drug-free treatment strategy for IBD that targets bacterial adhesion, utilizing mannan oligosaccharide-lo...
www.nature.com
August 25, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
Good opportunity here to work with a super talented new PI.
🚨 Job alert 🚨

I’m recruiting two postdoctoral research associates to join my lab at KCL to study how #Klebsiella pneumoniae regulates virulence factor expression during infection! #klebclub

Mol Micro: tinyurl.com/mtrwtx5e

Infection: tinyurl.com/2s3u8ca2

Deadline: 21st September.
Postdoctoral Research Associate in Molecular Microbiology
www.kcl.ac.uk
August 26, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
We’re hiring a Postdoc in Gut Microbiome Metabolomics!

Help us decode microbial metabolism and its impact on human health @leibniz-hki.de , Jena 🇩🇪

🔗 jobs.hki-jena.de/jobs/Postdoc...
Job opportunity Postdoctoral Researcher (m/f/div) in Gut Microbiome Metabolomics at Leibniz HKI Jobportal
Wissenschaft/Forschung in Jena
jobs.hki-jena.de
August 12, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
Pleased to share our latest study @natcomms.nature.com! We show that the host metabolites fumarate and itaconate impose selective pressure on Staphylococcus aureus, driving its adaptation via the enzyme FumC. Grateful to all who contributed to this work!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Regulation of airway fumarate by host and pathogen promotes Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia - Nature Communications
This study reveals how the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus adapts to the lung microenvironment, rich in host metabolites fumarate and itaconate, by using a key enzyme, FumC, to support its metabolic fi...
www.nature.com
August 1, 2025 at 4:18 AM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
"Among all bacterial species, S. aureus ranks second only to E. coli in the number of scientific publications."
It was a pleasure to contribute to this review, with @pinholab.bsky.social and Friedrich Götz
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Staphylococcus aureus: a model for bacterial cell biology and pathogenesis | Journal of Bacteriology
When talking about Staphylococcus aureus, one usually has in mind the diseases that can be caused by this bacterium, ranging from mild skin and soft tissue infections, such as abscesses and furuncles,...
journals.asm.org
July 28, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
Staphylococcus aureus exhibits spatiotemporal heterogeneity in Sae activity during kidney abscess development https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.08.663646v1
July 9, 2025 at 3:17 AM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
I am delighted that our manuscript 'Staphylococcus haemolyticus is a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes in the preterm infant gut' is now published.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Big thank you to all co-authors, particularly @lisalamberte.bsky.social and @halllab.bsky.social
Staphylococcus haemolyticus is a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes in the preterm infant gut
Staphylococcus haemolyticus is an important cause of sepsis in preterm infants, with gut colonization being recognized as a risk factor for infection. To better understand the diversity of S. haemo...
www.tandfonline.com
June 23, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1.... New pre-print of the lab in which we dive deep into Klebsiella-macrophage interface. High structural resolution of the lipid A produced by Klebsiella within the Klebsiella containing vacuole governed bt TLR4 signaling. Superb job led PhD student Toby Bartholomew
www.biorxiv.org
June 21, 2025 at 10:12 AM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
(1/6) 🌟 Excited to share our new paper!
Advancing microbiome safety assessments: opportunities, challenges & recommendations 🧫🦠

This work came out of an academic–industry workshop hosted by @microbiologysociety.org in early 2024.

🔗 www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
Assessing the safety of microbiome perturbations
Everyday actions such as eating, tooth brushing or applying cosmetics inherently modulate our microbiome. Advances in sequencing technologies now facilitate detailed microbial profiling, driving inten...
www.microbiologyresearch.org
May 27, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
Great news for postdocs! 🎉

Looking for your next big career move in microbiology? Explore a range of exciting postdoctoral positions now available on the #FEMSOpportunitiesBoard.

Find your perfect fit and advance your research journey. Apply today👇

buff.ly/CSwBDPl

#CareerOpportunity
May 28, 2025 at 7:01 AM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
Powerful new tool against Malaria (𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦)

Instead of killing mosquitoes, bed nets coated with ELQs (endochin-like quinolones) KILL THE MALARIA PARASITES INSIDE THE INSECTS. Infected mosquitoes land, absorb the drug through their legs, and are rendered parasite-free

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
May 24, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
🚨 Out now!

Rainbow trout with depleted IgM reveals interesting insights into its role in maintaining the gut microbiota 🐟

#MicroSky #IgM #MicrobiomeSky 🦠

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Secretory IgM regulates gut microbiota homeostasis and metabolism - Nature Microbiology
Rainbow trout with depleted secretory IgM reveal interesting insights into the elusive role of this immunoglobulin in maintaining gut microbiota.
www.nature.com
May 23, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
I am happy to share our latest preprint, spearheaded by Laura Camus. We show that tyrosin-dependent interactions can foster integration of S. aureus into the nasal microbiome. @cmfi.bsky.social @lmumuenchen.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
May 7, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
Important stuff

Microbes that weather chemo may help cancer patients do the same

Turnbaugh Lab (UCSF) find preTA+ bacteria detoxify 5-FU, reduce side effects

Probiotic supplements to protect patients during cancer therapy?

Works in mouse colorectal cancer model

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
May 21, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
Yeah! 7 more years for @cmfi.bsky.social
So many people to thank... We are a fantastic team!
May 22, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
Join us in Tubingen as a Junior Research Group Leader if you do research on #ESKAPE pathogens and infections and are interested in the highly cooperative environment of @dzif.bsky.social‬ and @cmfi.bsky.social ! Please send your application or forward to colleagues!
uni-tuebingen.de/universitaet...
May 19, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
Interested in phages ?
Want to work as team that will isolate, genome sequence and charachterise 1000s of phage to build a biobank .
Come work with me and Martha Clokie at Leicester

jobs.le.ac.uk/vacancies/va...
Vacancy Search Results - University of Leicester Recruitment Team
View our Latest Vacancies
jobs.le.ac.uk
May 16, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
Please RT. Post-doc opportunity alert! 💥 closing 5th May.. Come join our team (thelowlab.org) at Imperial, London, working on bacterial secretion systems. The position is funded by the Wellcome Trust.

For more details and to apply please see

www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/search-...
April 28, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Reposted by Mona Johannessen
If you are interested in lipids in bacteria, check out this awesome new review written by my talented student Alyssa Carter, super postdoc Emily Woods and me. #chembio
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Chemical strategies for targeting lipid pathways in bacterial pathogens
Microbial pathogens continue to plague human health and develop resistance to our current frontline treatments. Over the last few decades, there has b…
www.sciencedirect.com
April 19, 2025 at 10:22 PM