Deb and I had a blast hosting "family dinner" for all the staff of the Microbial Diversity course - grilled meat and cheese, salad, bread - topped off with some pie! This is a tradition started by Scott Dawson (the current co-Director with John Spear) many years ago when Scott was course faculty.

JB Editor's Choice: Solove, Ottemann et al. explore the mechanisms of aggregation by Helicobacter pylori, and using a new suite of tools, and show a role for both OMPs AlpA and AlpB. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... @asm.org #JBacteriol @microsky.bsky.social

JB Editor's Pick: Roberts, Sandkvist et al. examine the role of the GlyGly-CTERM domain in the section/membrane association of T2SS-secreted proteins. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... @asm.org #JBacteriol @microsky.bsky.social

New in JB: Angeli, Rinaldo et al. (we helped a bit on this study) explore cdG signaling with proteins containing periplasmic signaling domains using P. aeruginosa as a model. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... @asm.org #JBacteriol #MicroSky

New in JB: Wang, Hu et al. show that the CRP-like protein of R. anatipestifer crpR1 can be classified into three subtypes based on the protein length, likely impacting virulence of this organism. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... @asm.org #JBacteriol #MicroSky

New in JB: Grifaldo, Robleto et al. probe the connection between RNA polymerase and the control of motility and chemotaxis, as well as population heterogeneity, for B. subtilis, connecting diverse physiological processes. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... @asm.org #JBacteriol #MicroSky

Before giving a lecture on C1 metabolism at Microbial Diversity, Leslie Day (a postdoc in my lab and a member of the course faculty, shared her road in science. @mblscience.bsky.social

The Microbial Diversity Class visited Sippewissett salt marsh on Saturday to learn about the interesting microbiology and to take samples to bring back to the lab. It's a salt/brackish environment with lots of sulfate, photorespiratory microbes and more. @mblscience.bsky.social

New in JB: Fabri, Olson et al. (colleagues at Dartmouth) used a combination of genetic deletions and adaptive evolution to better understand the mechanisms of ethanol production by T. saccharolyticum. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... @asm.org #JBacteriol #MicroSky

New in JB: Gloag, Wozniak et al. start with biofilm-deficient mutant - a wsp pel psl strain - P. aeruginosa and show that that LPS and hyper-piliated mutants arise in a chronic wound model. There is more than one way to evolve! journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... @asm.org #JBacteriol #MicroSky

I'm apparently not technically competent to post a movie! But here is a pic of students in water up to their chests generating a ~6 ft high flame (everyone is OK!).

Last night was the traditional Volta expt at MD. Plenty of methane!!

New in JB: Paramita Wibowo Sutanto, Matsuda et al. show that TsrA, a small protein lacking a DNA binding domain modulates T3SS2 gene expression in V. parahaemolyticus via control of trnx activation and H-NS interaction. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... @asm.org #JBacteriol #MicroSky

In Microbial Diversity we understand that all life can be explained in one slide (or why one should NEVER memorize glycolysis). @mblscience.bsky.social

The first day of MicroDiv @mblscience.bsky.social kicked off with lectures from Course Directors John Spear and Scott Dawson. A few simple topics were covered: microbial diversity and the origin of the cell!

New in JB: Milcarz, Zakrzewska-Czerwińska et al. describe a N-terminal domain of FtsK, conserved among mycobacteria, that plays a key role in asymmetric cell division, likely via interacting with specific proteins & membrane lipids. @asm.org #JBacteriol #MicroSky journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

From an empty space to a set-up lab (plus ~20 kinds of media) in 24 hrs - Microbial Diversity 2026 @mblscience.bsky.social is ready to kick off tonight. 20 students from around the world will spend 6 intense weeks doing all things microbiology!

New in JB: Song, Qiao et al. show that the RmaH regulators balances Abx-R vs. acid-R by controlling cell wall thickness and membrane biogenesis vs. expressing the arginine deiminase pathway two RmaH-specific DNA-binding motifs. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... @asm.org #JBacteriol #MicroSky

New in JB: Friese, Zeng et al. show that the maturation protein (Mat) of Acinetobacter phage AP205 is sufficient for detachment from the T4P, which serves as a receptor for this phage. @asm.org #JBacteriol #MicroSky journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

New in JB: Erdmann, Sawers et al. demonstrate the central role of formate hydrogenlyase in E. coli biology - including pH homeostasis and key physiological functions - likely via modulating CO2 production. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... @asm.org #JBacteriol #MicroSky

JB Editor's Choice: Nagakubo, Toyofuku et al. describe a novel contractile injection systems (CISs) in Actinos, related to the phage tape measure protein, called Sle1, which enhances competition via altering the membrane proteome. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... @asm.org #JBacteriol #microsky

Please welcome Natalie Culler, the newest member of the O'Toole lab! Natalie is a PhD student working on one of our CF projects.

JB Editor's Choice: Lee, Giner & Welander identify an enzyme responsible for an unusual 8(14)-unsaturation found in the sterols made by methanotrophs, dinoflagellates, nematodes, and marine sponges - uncovering novel sterol biochemistry. journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.... @asm.org #JBacteriol

Submit to the JB Biofilms Collection! Research Articles & Minireviews on biofilm formation/dispersal, Abx tolerance, polymicrobial interactions, signalling, imaging & more. Submission deadline: 30 September 2026. journals.asm.org/journal/jb/b... @asm.org #JBacteriol #ASMjournals

Our Dept of Microbiology & Immunology @Geisel School of Medicine @Dartmouth has an opening for an Assistant Professor. Looking for programs bridging multiple areas in Micro & Immuno. A great place to be! Programs: www.M2P2.org www.dartmouthbiofilm.org Job ad: apply.interfolio.com/187637

New in JB: Weiner, Oglesby et al. review the many roles of Fe in P. aeruginosa biofilms. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... @asm.org #JBacteriol

Current & past members of the O'Toole lab attending the Boston Bacterial Meeting! (L->R)David Giacalone, Courtney Price, Kaitlyn Barrack (past) and Maggie Prentice (present). (Steve Finkel and I co-organized the BBM from 1996-1999 - attendees then were <75, now 400+?). @bostonbacteria.bsky.social

We finished the last day of our retreat yesterday with talks from Alex (shown) on the Lap adhesin system and Isaiah (forgot to take a picture, sorry!) talking about new projects - the marine biological pump & rumen microbiology. Next year will be the 25th Retreat!

New in JB: Bellamoroso, Dandekar et al. show that inactivation of the MexT efflux pump results in the emergence of new quorum sensing variants of P. aeruginosa. This work reveals selection pressures driving QS evolution. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... @asm.org #JBacteriol

Another lab tradition is a lobster dinner on Day 2 at a favorite of mine - the Chauncey Creek Lobster Pier. A beautiful location and the seafood is great.