Osterman Ilya
@ostermanilya.bsky.social
Senior Research Associate, microbiologist, biochemist, The Sorek lab, Weizmann Institute of Science
Pinned
Bacteria can sense when a virus starts shredding their genome — by detecting methylated mononucleotides.
Here’s the story of how we discovered the Metis defense system 👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Here’s the story of how we discovered the Metis defense system 👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Osterman Ilya
Very happy to share our collaborative project on FAM118 proteins - noncanonical sirtuins that form filaments and process NAD in human and other vertebrate cells.
Filament formation and NAD processing by noncanonical human FAM118 sirtuins
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology - Baretić and Missoury et al. identify vertebrate proteins FAM118B and FAM118A as sirtuins similar to bacterial antiphage enzymes and show that...
rdcu.be
November 17, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Very happy to share our collaborative project on FAM118 proteins - noncanonical sirtuins that form filaments and process NAD in human and other vertebrate cells.
Reposted by Osterman Ilya
We built GenoPHI: a machine learning workflow that predicts phage-host interactions at strain level. This could help rapidly select phages to treat drug-resistant bacterial infections or for microbiome engineering without exhaustive lab testing.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org
November 16, 2025 at 11:16 PM
We built GenoPHI: a machine learning workflow that predicts phage-host interactions at strain level. This could help rapidly select phages to treat drug-resistant bacterial infections or for microbiome engineering without exhaustive lab testing.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Osterman Ilya
Beautiful preprint from Simone Evans et al. in Alex Gao's group looking at MBL/nuclease and other cool zymogens (pepco, EACC1) in antiphage defense systems. Great to see this paradigm extended - probably many more proteolytically activated effectors out there...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org
November 15, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Beautiful preprint from Simone Evans et al. in Alex Gao's group looking at MBL/nuclease and other cool zymogens (pepco, EACC1) in antiphage defense systems. Great to see this paradigm extended - probably many more proteolytically activated effectors out there...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Osterman Ilya
I’m excited to share my recent postdoc work. Here, we interrogate how different phage infection outcomes (productive vs. restrictive) affect the expression of phage defense systems. We find that a restricted infection not only inhibits the phage but also induces increased immune protein abundance.
Surviving phage attack dynamically regulates bacterial immunity to defeat counterdefenses https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.13.688357v1
November 15, 2025 at 6:10 PM
I’m excited to share my recent postdoc work. Here, we interrogate how different phage infection outcomes (productive vs. restrictive) affect the expression of phage defense systems. We find that a restricted infection not only inhibits the phage but also induces increased immune protein abundance.
Reposted by Osterman Ilya
1/9 Metagenomics lets us read microbiomes in nature without cultivation, but writing (editing) them in their native context is still a major challenge.
Meet MetaEdit: a platform for pathway-scale metagenomic editing inside the gut microbiome. science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Meet MetaEdit: a platform for pathway-scale metagenomic editing inside the gut microbiome. science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Metagenomic editing of commensal bacteria in vivo using CRISPR-associated transposases
Although metagenomic sequencing has revealed a rich microbial biodiversity in the mammalian gut, methods to genetically alter specific species in the microbiome are highly limited. Here, we introduce ...
science.org
November 14, 2025 at 2:25 PM
1/9 Metagenomics lets us read microbiomes in nature without cultivation, but writing (editing) them in their native context is still a major challenge.
Meet MetaEdit: a platform for pathway-scale metagenomic editing inside the gut microbiome. science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Meet MetaEdit: a platform for pathway-scale metagenomic editing inside the gut microbiome. science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Osterman Ilya
Congratulations to Sorek lab alumnus Nitzan Tal, who won the prestigious 2025 Science & SciLifeLab prize for the best PhD thesis in Systems Biology! 💫
Read her Prize Assay, published in the journal Science today
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
@nitzantal.bsky.social
Read her Prize Assay, published in the journal Science today
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
@nitzantal.bsky.social
November 14, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Congratulations to Sorek lab alumnus Nitzan Tal, who won the prestigious 2025 Science & SciLifeLab prize for the best PhD thesis in Systems Biology! 💫
Read her Prize Assay, published in the journal Science today
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
@nitzantal.bsky.social
Read her Prize Assay, published in the journal Science today
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
@nitzantal.bsky.social
Reposted by Osterman Ilya
Cap1 forms a cyclic tetra-adenylate-induced membrane pore during the type III-A CRISPR-Cas immune response https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.13.688252v1
November 14, 2025 at 2:18 AM
Cap1 forms a cyclic tetra-adenylate-induced membrane pore during the type III-A CRISPR-Cas immune response https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.13.688252v1
Beautiful work, Congratulations! And bas63 is one of my favorite phages because it helped us to disciver NAD+ reconstitution pathway 1:)
Cryo-EM structure of bacteriophage Bas63 reveals structural conservation and diversity in the Felixounavirus genus | Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Cryo-EM structure of bacteriophage Bas63 reveals structural conservation and diversity in the Felixounavirus genus
Cryo-EM of phage Bas63 reveals unique capsid and tail features, offering insights into Felixounavirus evolution and architecture.
www.science.org
November 14, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Beautiful work, Congratulations! And bas63 is one of my favorite phages because it helped us to disciver NAD+ reconstitution pathway 1:)
Reposted by Osterman Ilya
Cryo-EM structure of the bacterial anti-phage defense system DRT6 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41223699/ #cryoem
November 13, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Cryo-EM structure of the bacterial anti-phage defense system DRT6 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41223699/ #cryoem
Fascinating discovery - anti-phage defense protein is a proenzyme that is cleaved by partner protease after phage infection and all three! products of cleavage form active nuclease.
Our nuclease-protease story is out! We explored a fascinating case of coevolution and modularity in prokaryotic immune systems: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Thanks to wonderful coauthors/collaborators/friends, the whole @doudna-lab.bsky.social and everyone at @innovativegenomics.bsky.social
Thanks to wonderful coauthors/collaborators/friends, the whole @doudna-lab.bsky.social and everyone at @innovativegenomics.bsky.social
Recurrent acquisition of nuclease-protease pairs in antiviral immunity
Antiviral immune systems diversify by integrating new genes into existing pathways, creating new mechanisms of viral resistance. We identified genes encoding a predicted nuclease paired with a trypsin...
www.science.org
November 14, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Fascinating discovery - anti-phage defense protein is a proenzyme that is cleaved by partner protease after phage infection and all three! products of cleavage form active nuclease.
Reposted by Osterman Ilya
Happy to see our HT-PELSA paper now published in @natsmb.nature.com 🎊 Big thanks for the constructive review process! 📖Read the manuscript here (www.nature.com/articles/s41...) & check the thread for additional information ⬇️
November 5, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Happy to see our HT-PELSA paper now published in @natsmb.nature.com 🎊 Big thanks for the constructive review process! 📖Read the manuscript here (www.nature.com/articles/s41...) & check the thread for additional information ⬇️
Reposted by Osterman Ilya
HT-PELSA, a new proteomics tool by EMBL researchers, processes samples 100x faster and works directly with complex crude cell, tissue, and bacterial lysates – developments which could accelerate drug discovery and basic biological research 💊
🔗 www.embl.org/news/science...
🔗 www.embl.org/news/science...
November 5, 2025 at 10:09 AM
HT-PELSA, a new proteomics tool by EMBL researchers, processes samples 100x faster and works directly with complex crude cell, tissue, and bacterial lysates – developments which could accelerate drug discovery and basic biological research 💊
🔗 www.embl.org/news/science...
🔗 www.embl.org/news/science...
Bacteria can sense when a virus starts shredding their genome — by detecting methylated mononucleotides.
Here’s the story of how we discovered the Metis defense system 👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Here’s the story of how we discovered the Metis defense system 👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 6, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Bacteria can sense when a virus starts shredding their genome — by detecting methylated mononucleotides.
Here’s the story of how we discovered the Metis defense system 👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Here’s the story of how we discovered the Metis defense system 👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Osterman Ilya
#PHGE BiomX Announces Positive FDA Feedback Supporting Next-Generation Phage Cocktail Program for Diabetic Foot Infections
https://www.stocktitan.net/news/PHGE/biom-x-announces-positive-fda-feedback-supporting-next-generation-1uqllk16fw5n.html
https://www.stocktitan.net/news/PHGE/biom-x-announces-positive-fda-feedback-supporting-next-generation-1uqllk16fw5n.html
BiomX Announces Positive FDA Feedback Supporting Next-Generation Phage Cocktail Program for Diabetic Foot Infections
BiomX Inc. (NYSE American: PHGE) (“BiomX” or the
www.stocktitan.net
November 4, 2025 at 1:40 PM
#PHGE BiomX Announces Positive FDA Feedback Supporting Next-Generation Phage Cocktail Program for Diabetic Foot Infections
https://www.stocktitan.net/news/PHGE/biom-x-announces-positive-fda-feedback-supporting-next-generation-1uqllk16fw5n.html
https://www.stocktitan.net/news/PHGE/biom-x-announces-positive-fda-feedback-supporting-next-generation-1uqllk16fw5n.html
Reposted by Osterman Ilya
Phage biology: Stuck with dU www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
November 4, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Phage biology: Stuck with dU www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Osterman Ilya
A membrane-bound nuclease directly cleaves phage DNA during genome injection https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.03.685801v1
November 3, 2025 at 4:16 PM
A membrane-bound nuclease directly cleaves phage DNA during genome injection https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.03.685801v1
Reposted by Osterman Ilya
#microsky #phagesky #phage defence
Novel bacterial ubiquitination-like pathway!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Novel bacterial ubiquitination-like pathway!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Mechanistic basis for protein conjugation in a diverged bacterial ubiquitination pathway - Nature Structural & Molecular Biology
Ye et al. define the structure and mechanisms of a bacterial pathway that performs ubiquitination-like protein conjugation, revealing new insights into the evolution and biological roles of ubiquitina...
www.nature.com
November 3, 2025 at 8:56 PM
#microsky #phagesky #phage defence
Novel bacterial ubiquitination-like pathway!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Novel bacterial ubiquitination-like pathway!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Osterman Ilya
Excited to share: DNA glycosylases are diverse antiviral effectors. They recognize phage base modifications and initiate genome destruction. A structure‑guided approach made the scope of this discovery possible! 🧪 #phagesky doi.org/10.1101/2025... #phage #microbiology
Antiviral Defence is a Conserved Function of Diverse DNA Glycosylases
Bacteria are frequently attacked by viruses, known as phages, and rely on diverse defence systems like restriction endonucleases and CRISPR-Cas to survive. While phages can evade these defences by cov...
doi.org
October 30, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Excited to share: DNA glycosylases are diverse antiviral effectors. They recognize phage base modifications and initiate genome destruction. A structure‑guided approach made the scope of this discovery possible! 🧪 #phagesky doi.org/10.1101/2025... #phage #microbiology
Reposted by Osterman Ilya
Are you interested in studying RNA phages? We are looking for a PhD student and a postdoc to join the lab!
For more information and how to apply, see below 👇
Please RT!
For more information and how to apply, see below 👇
Please RT!
📢 The #HIRI is looking for a #postdoc & a #PhD student to join the research group of @jenshoer.bsky.social. His lab focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of #phages with #RNA genomes during infection, host takeover & anti-phage defense. 🧫🦠 More info: www.helmholtz-hiri.de/en/jobs-tale...
Working at HIRI
At the HIRI, we do not just value excellent research. Short distances, an open door policy, and a good working atmosphere—this is what distinguishes us from others. Have a look at our current job…
www.helmholtz-hiri.de
October 17, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Are you interested in studying RNA phages? We are looking for a PhD student and a postdoc to join the lab!
For more information and how to apply, see below 👇
Please RT!
For more information and how to apply, see below 👇
Please RT!
Reposted by Osterman Ilya
Use antisense oligomers to silence phage genes and discover new biology.
@jorg-vogel-lab.bsky.social @helmholtz-hiri.bsky.social @helmholtzhzi.bsky.social @uni-wuerzburg.de
print: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
highlight: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
briefing: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
@jorg-vogel-lab.bsky.social @helmholtz-hiri.bsky.social @helmholtzhzi.bsky.social @uni-wuerzburg.de
print: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
highlight: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
briefing: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
October 31, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Use antisense oligomers to silence phage genes and discover new biology.
@jorg-vogel-lab.bsky.social @helmholtz-hiri.bsky.social @helmholtzhzi.bsky.social @uni-wuerzburg.de
print: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
highlight: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
briefing: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
@jorg-vogel-lab.bsky.social @helmholtz-hiri.bsky.social @helmholtzhzi.bsky.social @uni-wuerzburg.de
print: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
highlight: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
briefing: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Osterman Ilya
q.e.d Science
Critical Thinking AI for constructive criticism and science evaluation
qedscience.com
October 15, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Reposted by Osterman Ilya
Reposted by Osterman Ilya
Serine recombinases are conserved genetic markers of antiphage defense systems https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.07.681051v1
October 8, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Serine recombinases are conserved genetic markers of antiphage defense systems https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.07.681051v1
Reposted by Osterman Ilya
#WeekendRead! #ToSenseOrNotToSense! #MysterySolved! Berouti, Wagner, Carell, @v-hornung.bsky.social &co show @cp-cell.bsky.social that RNase T2 & PLDs generate #TLR7 & #TLR8 agonistic ligands only if RNA does not contains pseudouridines explaining avoidance of self RNA sensing!
Pseudouridine RNA avoids immune detection through impaired endolysosomal processing and TLR engagement
Recognition of exogenous RNA by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) is central to pathogen defense. Using two distinct binding pockets, TLR7 and TLR8 recognize…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 19, 2025 at 3:03 PM
#WeekendRead! #ToSenseOrNotToSense! #MysterySolved! Berouti, Wagner, Carell, @v-hornung.bsky.social &co show @cp-cell.bsky.social that RNase T2 & PLDs generate #TLR7 & #TLR8 agonistic ligands only if RNA does not contains pseudouridines explaining avoidance of self RNA sensing!