Nils Birkholz
@NilsBirkholz
Molecular microbiologist investigating bacterial defence systems and mobile genetic elements. Postdoc in the Fineran Lab @Otago. 🇳🇿
👋🏻 I'm absolutely glee-ridden to finally see our study on the RNA- and DNA-binding anti-CRISPR repressor Aca2 published in @Nature. 🥳 This unassuming little helix–turn–helix protein packs quite the punch! 🧶👇🏻 rdcu.be/dNl45
Bacteriophages, phage proteins and organic acids offer potential as biocontrols for bacterial fruit pathogens. This piece outlines current advances and future directions in developing sustainable methods for pest management ➡️ doi.org/10.1111/1751-7…
When experiments don’t work... build a phage costume! 🎃 Happy PHAGEOWEEN!!! 👻🧬#Teamwork
Excited to share our last collab paper in @NatureComms on the structure & interference mechanism of the mysterious 𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲 𝗜𝗩-𝗔 𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗣𝗥-𝗖𝗮𝘀 system!! 🧬🚀 🔗nature.com/articles/s4146… 🧵 by @patrick_pausch below!
Introducing the 2024 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women In Science fellows: Dr Leah Smith of @otago, Dr Brittany Mitchell of @QIMRB_Institute, Dr Mengyu Li of @sydney_uni, Dr Emily Roycroft of @ourANU and Dr Kaye Minkyung Kang of @sydney_uni. Congratulations! #FWIS
1/8. 𝐧𝐜𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐬 often fly under the radar... but they're vital in bacteria-phage conflicts & beyond. Curious 𝙬𝙝𝙮!? 🤔 Here, we dive into their immune roles, plasticity, and discuss their hidden potential! 🧬🚀 🔗:cell.com/trends/microbi…
The role of noncoding RNAs in bacterial immunity Review by Rafael Pinilla-Redondo and colleagues @pentamorfico @lihuijuan20 @rafapinilla92 dlvr.it/TFL77G
Super fun project working with the Zorya team. Lots of interesting discussions and crazy biology, still lots to explore!
Very happy our paper on Zorya anti-phage defense system is now published in @Nature! 🥳 Big congrats to first authors @HaidaiHu and @__jphilipp and all other authors! Wonderful collab with @Salmo_Lab and @SimonJacksonNZ #cryoEM @UCPH_CPR @koebenhavns_uni nature.com/articles/s4158…
Honored to be a 2024 @FondationLOreal-@UNESCO #ForWomeninScience Fellow. Great fun in Melbourne at the ceremony & talking science with students at the #GirlsinScience event! 🙏 to mentors past/present @otago @UMassD @RICNews & @MarsdenFund for supporting my #phage research #FWIS
Introducing the 2024 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women In Science fellows: Dr Leah Smith of @otago, Dr Brittany Mitchell of @QIMRB_Institute, Dr Mengyu Li of @sydney_uni, Dr Emily Roycroft of @ourANU and Dr Kaye Minkyung Kang of @sydney_uni. Congratulations! #FWIS
Super excited that our paper on isoniazid resistance in M. tuberculosis is now published in @NatureComms . Massive effort from all involved, especially lead author Cecilia Wang!! nature.com/articles/s4146…
Our review paper on the evolution of tailocins got the cover of @TrendsMicrobiol tinyurl.com/5665979b with @BackmanTalia and Talia Karasov (tkarasovlab.org) @uclbiosciences @CloeFor @UCLLifeSciences @UofUBiology
From anti-invader immunity to the cytoskeleton: the tale of McrB proteins This work with @RamamurthiLab @ProteinVerse shows how a protein involved in bacterial immunity gave rise to a novel lineage-specific cytoskeletal protein. The McrB proteins are AAA+ ATPases that typically…
I am very proud to share our paper on Tad1/Tad2 sponges, which appeared to be multifunctional anti-defense proteins that inhibit many different signaling-based immunity systems!💫 nature.com/articles/s4158…
My first postdoc paper is live! 🥳 Multiple CRISPR systems can interact for type VI-A spacer acquisition, check it out here:
Crosstalk between three CRISPR-Cas types enables primed type VI-A adaptation in Listeria seeligeri biorxiv.org/cgi/content/sh… #biorxiv_micrbio
Excited to share our multigenerational restriction inactivation story is live! Such a fun collab sparked by aligned conclusions across labs and generations! (bacterial & human😉). Bacterial-phage evolution never ceases to fascinate!
Did you know that bacteria remember their past for many generations? In this new preprint from us (@VillaniAlexis and Senen Mendoza) and Banin lab (@ShmidovE ), we reveal the "how?" and "why?" underlying a long-standing mystery in bacterial memory. biorxiv.org/content/10.110…
Happy to share our work in @NatureMicrobiol. Gamma-Mobile-Trio systems are mobile elements rich in bacterial defensive and offensive tools. If you're interested in #Antiphage #T6SS #Vibrio #MGE then this is for you. 🧵1/15 rdcu.be/dXMwQ nature.com/articles/s4156…
We have an amazing line up of speakers including @AudeBer! Submit your abstracts and register now. Please share.
Meet one of our Invited Speakers Aude Bernheim is a microbiologist interested in how bacteria fight off their viruses. Submit an abstract now to join an exciting line up of international speakers in Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand for CRISPR 2025. crispr2025.org/call-for-abstr…
🚨👉 Various plasmid strategies limit the effect of bacterial restriction–modification systems against conjugation Great work by @TatianaDimitriu & @edzewestra academic.oup.com/nar/article/do…
Not too late to submit an abstract to #crispr2025 meeting in NZ! Please share! We can’t wait to see all you crispr enthusiasts in Christchurch.
Deadline Extension for Abstract Submissions Good news! The deadline for abstract submissions has been extended to Monday 28 October. This is your chance to showcase your research by submitting either an oral or poster presentation for CRISPR 2025. #crispr #crispr2025 #phage
Deadline Extension for Abstract Submissions Good news! The deadline for abstract submissions has been extended to Monday 28 October. This is your chance to showcase your research by submitting either an oral or poster presentation for CRISPR 2025. #crispr #crispr2025 #phage
Thrilled to share my latest research from @crisprcas10 lab, published in Nature Communications! nature.com/articles/s4146… Here, we investigate antiviral defenses in Staphylococcus, opportunistic pathogens that are major contributors to antibiotic-resistant infections. 🧵 1/5
Our preprint (posted on BioRxiv in August 2023) on the defense mechanism of retron Ec86 (Eco1) is now out. DNA methylation activates retron Ec86 filaments for antiphage defense: Cell Reports cell.com/cell-reports/f…