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stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
STCmicrobeblog
@stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
4.1K followers 930 following 3.8K posts
A blog that aims to share appreciation for the width & depth of microbial activities.

Posts by Christoph, not necessarily the opinion of all team members of Small Things Considered (STC) https://smallthingsconsidered.blog/
Posts Replies Media Videos
stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
water fern 𝘈𝘻𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢 and its external(!) cyanobiont

nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
#SymbioSky
Transmission of cyanobionts in both reproductive cycles of Azolla. Azolla growing in a rice paddy. Insets show detailed views of megasporocarps and a shoot. The sexual sporocarp cycle. (a) Sporocarps grow in pairs (two microsporocarps, two megasporocarps, or a combination of both) at branching points (Dijkhuizen et al., 2021). Here, development of the megasporocarp is visualized. Initially, sporocarps are covered by an involucre which recedes as they mature. (c) Sporangial hairs (SH1–SH4) form at the base of the sporocarp pair, guiding cyanobionts from their motile, apical meristem colony to the sporocarps. (c) The indusium forms around the sporangial initial and begins to envelop it, mechanically separating the cyanobionts from the SHs. (di) Cyanobionts enter the megasporocarp through the indusium pore. (dii) Cross-section of the megasporocarp showing the megaspore (MS) and the cyanobionts suspended in the mucilaginous matrix (MM). (e) The MS is covered by the perine (P). Between the cyanobiont population and the megaspore, a girdle (G), the floats (F) and an apical membrane (AM) develop. At the tip of the sporocarp, the indusium chamber containing the cyanobionts is located. During this developmental transition, cyanobionts differentiate into pro-akinetes. (f) When the MS is mature, all cyanobionts are in an akinete stage. Once mature, the MS apparatus, containing MS, floats, and indusium chamber, will be released from the sporophyte by splitting the two-layered megasporcarp and one-layered megasporangial wall along the equatorial zone (not shown; Dunham & Fowler, 1987). The released MS apparatus appears to have an apical cap, also called the indusial cap, covering the floats and the indusium chamber, which is separated from the megasporangial wall, but still adheres to the float in the process of gametophyte maturation (Dunham & Fowler, 1987). When the first cotyledonary leaf penetrates the apical membrane, it engulfs cyanobionts... (complete caption in paper)
November 10, 2025 at 3:19 PM
stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
The Other Side of the Hill

by Roberto - In a recent series of posts, I broached the subjects of growth and the cessation of growth. Bacterial and human. In case you missed those posts, here's an easy way to reach and read them:...

Read more > smallthingsconsidered.blog/schaechter/2...
The Other Side of the Hill
November 10, 2025 at 11:11 AM
stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
#ProtistsOnSky (not always sure which # would be best)
evgenii-protasov.bsky.social Evgenii Protasov @evgenii-protasov.bsky.social · 2d
A Novel Protistan Trait Database Reveals Functional Redundancy and Complementarity in Terrestrial Protists(Amoebozoa and Rhizaria)
#protists #eukaryotes #amoeba
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
November 9, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Reposted by STCmicrobeblog
smitslab.bsky.social
🚨 Publication alert! We are stoked to report the structural basis for activity of a novel class of antimicrobials targeting Gram positive priority pathogens in @natcomms.nature.com. There is something for everyone on this paper, and I will highlight a few things below 👇 1/9 doi.org/10.1038/s414...
A unique inhibitor conformation selectively targets the DNA polymerase PolC of Gram-positive priority pathogens - Nature Communications
In this work, Urem et al. characterize the mode of action as well as mechanism of reduced susceptibility related to a class of antimicrobials that is in development for the treatment of infections wit...
doi.org
November 6, 2025 at 10:29 AM
stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
yes, but mind the ALT text
jmelville.science jo melville @jmelville.science · 3d
please don't @ me like "actually cerium is unique among the lanthanides for its +4 oxidation state"

⚗️🧪 #chemsky
A simplified, stylized periodic table of elements where large groups of elements are color-coded. Hydrogen (H) is isolated. Group 1 (alkali metals) is labeled "BOOM!". Group 2 (alkaline earth metals) is "rocks & sand & glass & stuff". The transition metals are split into sections: "the foundations of human civilization," "catalysts & superalloys," "ooh, shiny!," "expensive," and "heavy metal poisoning." Technetium (Tc) is boxed separately. The p-block is also grouped: "chips (not tasty kind)," "organic chemistry," and "useful for poisoning your husband." The noble gases are labeled "n o p e." The heaviest elements in the s-block and p-block are labeled "cancer 2" and "cancer alley," with the exception of Bismuth. The transactinides are labeled "more physics than chemistry." The bottom f-block (lanthanides and actinides) is also labeled. The lanthanides are "except for Pm these are all basically the same element," with Promethium (Pm) boxed. The actinides are labeled "rxtors & bombs" and "you probably work at Los Alamos."
November 8, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Reposted by STCmicrobeblog
markowenmartin.bsky.social
Friday means a new #MattersMicrobial podcast. This week, Dr. Hannah Ledvina joins the #QualityQuorum to chat about how bacteria can shield themselves against Bdellovibrio attack! Please spread the #GoodMicrobialWord. @univpugetsound @ASMicrobiology @microbe.tv

youtu.be/n31kkw576GE?...
November 7, 2025 at 6:03 PM
stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
we're following closely... 👏👏👏
glad to see an "update" to > smallthingsconsidered.blog/schaechter/2...
November 8, 2025 at 1:36 PM
stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
the plot thickens...
#Archaea #Microsky #SymbioSky
tbharat-lab.bsky.social Tanmay Bharat @tbharat-lab.bsky.social · 4d
An Asgard archaeon with internal membrane compartments

Brilliant study led by @fmacleod.bsky.social and Andriko von Kügelgen. Tight collaboration with @buzzbaum.bsky.social and lab. Congrats to all authors!

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 7, 2025 at 10:16 PM
stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
Caulophiles take note 👇
#MicrosSky #CryoET #CryoE; #teamtomo
guo-lab.bsky.social Shuaiqi Guo @guo-lab.bsky.social · 4d
Great collaboration with @brunlabcaulo.bsky.social for resolving the Tad pilus machine structure by cryo-ET. Beautiful work by graduate students James Iarocci and Ryu Williston in our lab.

Preprint:https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.05.686773v1
November 6, 2025 at 4:56 PM
stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
Dying Sea Stars

Oceans cover most of the Earth's surface and contain more than 97% of all our water. The oceans' importance in supporting life on our planet, in regulating the climate, and as a home for a vast amount of...

Read more > smallthingsconsidered.blog/schaechter/2...
#MicroSky
November 6, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Reposted by STCmicrobeblog
godi.bsky.social
🚀 New in @natmicrobiol.nature.com
EMCG — droplet-based single-particle genomics method 🧬⚠️Sequencing marine microbes one by one — in nL of seawater!

Ultra-high resolution — no culture, no bulk averaging. A new way to see the invisible 🫥 🌊 rdcu.be/eOsUF #protistsonsky @bigelowlab.bsky.social
Single-particle genomics uncovers abundant non-canonical marine viruses from nanolitre volumes
Nature Microbiology - Environmental micro-compartment genomics provides efficient and high-throughput single-particle DNA sequencing that captures overlooked members of microbial communities.
rdcu.be
November 5, 2025 at 8:34 PM
stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
#RNASky
November 5, 2025 at 1:35 PM
stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
#PhageSky & 🐝sky (?) #MicroSky
November 4, 2025 at 8:39 PM
stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
this is so cool! I've never seen 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘢 like that 👀
#MicroSky
stapheric.bsky.social Eric Pollitt @stapheric.bsky.social · 11d
M. smegmatis uses new types of biofilm to enclose a liquid core and expand outwards in a weird new way.
November 4, 2025 at 5:42 PM
stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
bacteria move by swimming, twitching, gliding/sliding, ...and now by 'swashing'
go figure!
#MicroSky
jcamthrash.bsky.social Cameron Thrash @jcamthrash.bsky.social · 6d
Swashing: a propulsion-independent form of bacterial surface migration journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.... #jcampubs
November 4, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Reposted by STCmicrobeblog
zeynepbaharoglu.bsky.social
Our new paper maps the tRNA modification landscape in Vibrio cholerae! 💫
We describe differences from E. coli and discuss links to decoding of stress-related codons 🦠
Huge thanks to amazing co-authors and collaborators!
@plos.org #rnasky #microsky #tRNAmodifications
The tRNA epitranscriptomic landscape and RNA modification enzymes in Vibrio cholerae
Author summary This study charts the first genome-wide map of transfer RNA (tRNA) modifications in the cholera pathogen, Vibrio cholerae, revealing how chemical marks on tRNAs shape translation and st...
journals.plos.org
November 3, 2025 at 11:58 PM
stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
#SymbioSky
kaltenpoth-lab.bsky.social Insect Symbiosis Lab @kaltenpoth-lab.bsky.social · 7d
How host and symbiont cells interface in intimately symbiotic associations is still poorly undersood. @annazaidmanremy.bsky.social and her team @inrae-umr-bf2i.bsky.social identifed now a complex network of membraneous tubules containing carbohydrates presumably feeding Sodalis symbionts of weevils!
inrae-umr-bf2i.bsky.social INRAE UMR BF2I @inrae-umr-bf2i.bsky.social · 12d
📣 #OurLastPaper is out! And it's a major breakthrough that we're publishing in @cp-cell.bsky.social l: we've discovered architect bacteria that build complex structures to feed themselves better!
#SymbioSky 1/5
November 3, 2025 at 2:04 PM
stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
by Roberto — When I wrote "A New Dawn," which posted on July 21, the last thing I imagined for the fu­ture of STC was that our platform, Typepad, would go dark on us. Not just dark, pitch black. I was enthusiastically cruising along with my...

Read more > smallthingsconsidered.blog/schaechter/2...
November 3, 2025 at 10:06 AM
stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
Ray: Just a note to say STC is officially back up and running!! You can view our new home via smallthingsconsidered.blog
smallthingsconsidered.blog
November 3, 2025 at 1:10 AM
stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
take note everybody

earth.org/antarcticas-...
Climate Change in Antarctica Has Given Rise to Blooming Flowers
This article delves into the changing climatic conditions in Antarctica that have given rise to these blooming flowers.
earth.org
November 2, 2025 at 8:34 PM
stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
#MicroSky wohoo!
rebeleinlab.bsky.social Johannes Rebelein @rebeleinlab.bsky.social · 19d
Our latest work on the nitrogenase-like methylthio-alkane reductase, which specifically reduces reduces carbon-sulfide bonds is now out @natcatal.nature.com: doi.org/10.1038/s419.... We find for the first time large #nitrogenase metalloclusters (P- and L-cluster) outside nitrogenases.
November 2, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Reposted by STCmicrobeblog
microbetv.bsky.social
Today Dr. Jessica Mark Welch, Professor at the ADA Forsyth Institute joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the complex and interactive microbial communities living unseen within our mouths and what those communities can tell us.

@markowenmartin.bsky.social
Matters Microbial #114: A Tongue-n-Cheek Look at the Oral Microbiome
YouTube video by MicrobeTV
youtu.be
November 1, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Reposted by STCmicrobeblog
evolvedbiofilm.bsky.social
bioRxiv on predator-prey interaction between Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus and V. cholerae and how chitin alters V. cholerae biofilm formation and predator-prey interactions - from Carey Nadell
biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social bioRxiv Microbiology @biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social · 10d
Vibrio cholerae interaction with predatory bacteria on chitin suggests an alternative mode of biofilm formation in marine snow conditions https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.31.685833v1
November 1, 2025 at 9:47 AM
stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
#ProtistsOnSky
rorycraig.bsky.social Rory Craig @rorycraig.bsky.social · 13d
Excited to introduce Auxenochlorella as a new algal reference organism for fundamental plant science and bioengineering. A paper in two parts: a genetic toolkit for site-specific genomic manipulation, paired with the most unusual genome I’ve ever worked on

academic.oup.com/plcell/artic...
Targeted genetic manipulation and yeast-like evolutionary genomics in the green alga Auxenochlorella
Auxenochlorella, green algae shaped by evolutionary forces acting on vegetative diploids, are amenable to discovery research and bioengineering via efficie
academic.oup.com
November 1, 2025 at 8:56 AM
stcmicrobeblog.bsky.social
#SymbioSky
evanowack.bsky.social Eva Nowack @evanowack.bsky.social · 10d
✨X-ray crystallography reveals surprising twist in how proteins enter the unique photosynthetic organelles of Paulinella. The chromatophore targeting peptide (crTP) folds into a 3D structure, hinting that folded proteins cross peptidoglycan and inner membrane. (1/2)
academic.oup.com/plphys/artic...
crTP X-ray structure
November 1, 2025 at 8:47 AM