(not) Imran Khan

(not) Imran Khan

@imrsankhan.bsky.social

UCC. Staph man. Insane for the membrane. He/Him.

183 followers253 following32 posts

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(not) Imran Khan
@imrsankhan.bsky.social

Our work deciphering the substrate preferences of a di-/tripeptide transporter from S. aureus is now available as a proof at @plos.org Pathogens! Big thanks to the reviewers and to all the brilliant co-authors, particularly Callum who helped get those last few crucial experiments across the line

journals.plos.orgDefined roles for the Staphylococcus aureus POT transporter DtpT in di/tripeptide uptake and glutathione utilisation inside human macrophagesAuthor summary The environments where bacterial pathogens thrive are often rich in proteins and their degradation products, including oligopeptides, which can be taken up by the bacterium and used as ...

(not) Imran Khan reposted

David Gerlach
@dger.bsky.social

Please check out our new work demonstrating how S. aureus integration into the nasal microbiome 👃 can be driven by amino acid availability. This enormous effort was spearheaded by the amazing @laucamus.bsky.social 👩‍🔬!

simonheilbronner.bsky.social@simonheilbronner.bsky.social

Happy to see the work of @laucamus.bsky.social published today (rdcu.be/i9p3mJUiX3ta); We show that S. aureus proliferation in nasal communities is impacted by amino acid availability. With amazing support of @linklab.bsky.social, L. Angenent and many more. @lmu.de, @unituebingen.bsky.social

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Ákos T Kovács
@evolvedbiofilm.bsky.social

Community composition drives metabolic competition and Staphylococcus aureus colonization resistance in synthetic nasal communities ISME Journal by @marcelonavarrodiaz.bsky.social et al from @linkmetabolism.bsky.social and @daniel-petras.bsky.social labs academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...

academic.oup.comCommunity composition drives metabolic competition and Staphylococcus aureus colonization resistance in synthetic nasal communitiesAbstract. The human nasal microbiome is a low-diversity ecosystem whose assembly principles and mechanisms of colonization resistance remain poorly underst

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Staph papers
@staph-papers.bsky.social

Defining the transcriptional adaptation of Staphylococcus aureus to a range of nutritional sulfur supplementation

t.coDefining the transcriptional adaptation of Staphylococcus aureus to a range of nutritional sulfur supplementation - PubMedBacterial pathogens must adapt to dynamic host tissue environments to proliferate. Accordingly, elegant regulatory systems evolved to overcome challenges presented by the host and satisfy nutritional...

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Seth Dickey
@dickeylab.bsky.social

I’m thrilled to share our newest study in which @thesbhowmick.bsky.social y.social developed and applied a genome-wide platform to uncover genetic interactions in Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... 1/10

biorxiv.orgA genome-wide genetic interaction platform for MRSA reveals connections between cell division and the cell envelopeThe bacterial cell cycle is an ensemble of integrated pathways that coordinates cell growth and division. Although these pathways contain a suite of promising antimicrobial targets, their functional o...

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Félix Ramos-León
@felixrl.bsky.social

Excited to share my latest work in the @ramamurthilab.bsky.social, now in @cp-cellreports.bsky.social! We show that division geometry organizes surface adhesins in S. aureus and enables the formation of abscess communities that protect bacteria from immune cells. www.cell.com/cell-reports...

cell.comOrthogonal cell division mediated by PcdA organizes surface virulence factors to drive staphylococcal abscess community formationStaphylococcus aureus divides along sequential orthogonal planes, but the function of this geometry has remained unclear. Ramos-León et al. show that orthogonal division promotes uniform deployment of...

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Jan-Willem Veening
@veeninglab.com

New preprint! #MicroSky Led by @ayaiizuka.bsky.social & Maria Vittoria Mazzuoli, we ask what helps Staphylococcus aureus enter, survive inside and evade treatment in human monocytes. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

biorxiv.orgStaphylococcus aureus Mnh1 cation–proton antiporter promotes phagocytic uptake and intracellular survival in human monocytesWhile Staphylococcus aureus is predominantly an extracellular human commensal, it can also exhibit an intracellular lifestyle that enables its persistence within diverse host cell types, including mon...
(not) Imran Khan
@imrsankhan.bsky.social

Cool to see a defined role for PNAG in immune evasion for Staph biofilms in vivo! #microsky

Ákos T Kovács@evolvedbiofilm.bsky.social

Imaging Staphylococcus aureus biofilms in vivo reveals neutrophil exclusion by PNAG exopolysaccharide #mBio by @rachelkratofil.bsky.social et al journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

journals.asm.orgImaging Staphylococcus aureus biofilms in vivo reveals neutrophil exclusion by PNAG exopolysaccharide | mBioThe biofilm-associated exopolysaccharide PNAG is frequently expressed in Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates but is often reduced during laboratory passage, with expression highly dependent on gro...

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Alan Cartmell
@acartmell47.bsky.social

Delighted to have this collaborative work out in @natmicrobiol.nature.com on how A. muciniphila deploys its sulfatases, both their localisation and substrate specificity, to metabolise colonic mucin www.nature.com/articles/s41... #glycotime.

nature.comUnique adaptations in sulfatases underpin colonic mucin degradation by Akkermansia muciniphila - Nature MicrobiologyStructural and biochemical follow-up of a serendipitous discovery reveals that Akkermansia muciniphila carbohydrate sulfatases are uniquely adapted to digest colonic mucins in collaboration with other...

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Emmanuele Severi
@emmseveri.bsky.social

New #glycotime #glycotimesky paper reporting the super-fun isolation of “rule-breaking” #sialic acid transporter mutants! The phenotype is a real tease, much to ponder about. Worth a read: febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.comFEBS PressBiophysical characterisation shows that NanX, a membrane transport protein from the major facilitator superfamily (MFS), forms both monomers and dimers after purification. AlphaFold modelling and sub...

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Omar El-Halfawy
@omarel-halfawy.bsky.social

Thrilled to share our recent paper at @cellpress.bsky.social's @cp-iscience.bsky.social studying the antibiotic responses of MRSA, one of the most common wound pathogens, under wound infection-like conditions vs. standard lab test conditions. www.cell.com/iscience/ful...

cell.comUncovering the mechanisms of clinically relevant altered antibiotic responses of Staphylococcus aureus under wound infection-mimetic conditionsBiophysics; Clinical microbiology; Microbiology; Molecular biology; Systems biology
(not) Imran Khan
@imrsankhan.bsky.social

A new study on BioRxiv studying growth of S. aureus in excessive amino acid concentrations. The authors identify important roles for BOTH DtpT AND PepV in these conditions - two @gavinhthomas.bsky.social lab favourite proteins from the last few years!! Fun little trip down memory lane #microsky

biorxiv.orgGenetic basis of glycine and L-serine toxicity in Staphylococcus aureus and the case for glycine as an antibiotic adjuvantThe toxicity of the amino acids glycine and L-serine at high concentrations in bacteria was discovered decades ago. In this work, we used deep transposon insertion sequencing (Tn-seq) experiments to d...
(not) Imran Khan
@imrsankhan.bsky.social

Second in a recent spree of Massey lab papers published in @microbiologysociety.org - talented PhD student Kate shows how some clinical uropathogenic Staph strains have lost their ability to grow under iron-limited conditions #microsky www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...

microbiologyresearch.orgUrogenital infections select for reduced ability to grow in a low-iron environment and reduced blood survival for Staphylococcus aureusImmunity through nutrient sequestration is one of the means by which a host can protect itself from infection. As a consequence, many micro-organisms have evolved strategies to overcome this, includin...

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Staph papers
@staph-papers.bsky.social

Defining the transcriptional adaptation of Staphylococcus aureus to a range of nutritional sulfur supplementation t.co/rv79NtPwTu

t.coDefining the transcriptional adaptation of Staphylococcus aureus to a range of nutritional sulfur supplementation - PubMedThe opportunistic pathogen <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> proliferates within diverse host environments and consequently is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. During colonization <i>S. aureus</i>...

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Zeynep Baharoglu
@zeynepbaharoglu.bsky.social

Extended Shine-Dalgarno motifs govern translation initiation in Staphylococcus aureus www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🦠

nature.comExtended Shine-Dalgarno motifs govern translation initiation in Staphylococcus aureus - Nature CommunicationsKohl et al. combine high-resolution Ribo-seq and cryo electron microscopy to show that the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus uses extended Shine-Dalgarno motifs to initiate translation, which can make…
(not) Imran Khan
@imrsankhan.bsky.social

Great to see Sam's work on PdhD out now in Microbiology! Very cool story showing how subtle metabolic adaptations can give Staph an edge during systemic invasion #microsky www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...

microbiologyresearch.orgMetabolic reprogramming promotes Staphylococcus aureus serum resistanceStaphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of bloodstream infections causing an estimated 300,000 deaths worldwide. Using a functional genomics approach, our group previously identified that adaptation ...

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Ákos T Kovács
@evolvedbiofilm.bsky.social

"compact pooled CRISPRi library targeting all protein-coding genes in B. subtilis and test its growth in ~150 stress conditions" The phenotypic landscape of the model firmicute Bacillus subtilis bioRxiv from Carol Gross www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

biorxiv.orgThe phenotypic landscape of the model firmicute Bacillus subtilisFirmicutes are gram-positive bacteria with important roles in human health, disease, and industry. However, more than a quarter of genes in the model firmicute Bacillus subtilis remain completely uncharacterized, including numerous core phylum-specific genes. Here, we design a compact pooled CRISPRi library targeting all protein-coding genes in B. subtilis and test its growth in ~150 stress conditions. Using data from this screen as a hypothesis generator, we perform targeted experiments that reveal that YneF, a conserved essential firmicute protein, plays a role in the SRP co-translational protein secretion pathway. We also demonstrate that ECF-transporters play a previously unknown but broadly conserved role in cell wall homeostasis, perform an unbiased analysis of amino acid crossfeeding, and make additional discoveries about bacterial competition and about the cell wall of B. subtilis. In addition to these major contributions to our understanding of B. subtilis (and gram-positive firmicutes in general), this work provides a rich dataset that will nucleate future studies of uncharacterized genes and presents a framework for accessible full-genome functional genomic screens in other bacteria. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. National Institutes of Health, https://ror.org/01cwqze88, R35 GM118061 The University of Queensland, https://ror.org/00rqy9422

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Tung Le
@tunglejic.bsky.social

@biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social Who knew ParB-CTPase fold can kill!!! A protein fold best known for segregating chromosomes…can be transformed into a potent antibacterial toxin in some plant and animal pathogens. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

biorxiv.orgRepurposing a chromosome segregation ParB-CTPase fold into an ATPase toxin for contact-dependent growth inhibition in plant and animal pathogensBacterial competition drives the evolution of antibacterial mechanisms, yet how new activities arise remains poorly understood. A major route to innovation is the reuse of pre-existing genetic systems, whereby conserved protein modules are repurposed in new biological contexts to generate new capabilities. Here, we show that the ParB-CTPase fold, a conserved nucleotide-binding module best known for its role in chromosome segregation, can be functionally repurposed as an antibacterial toxin. We identify ToxB, a ParB-like domain embedded within the polymorphic toxin region of contact-dependent inhibition systems and show that it functions as a potent antibacterial effector. Structural and biochemical analyses reveal that ToxB retains the core architecture of the ParB-CTPase fold but lacks DNA-binding capability and preferentially binds ATP. This shift in nucleotide specificity underpins a distinct mode of action, in which ATP binding and hydrolysis trigger rapid nucleoid compaction, chromosome segregation defects, oxidative stress, cell chaining, and ultimately cell lysis. ToxB also exhibits toxic activity in plant cells, suggesting that it targets conserved cellular processes. Together, these findings provide direct experimental evidence that the ParB-NTPase fold is biologically versatile and can be repurposed for biological roles fundamentally distinct from its ancestral function in DNA segregation. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. Wellcome Trust, https://ror.org/029chgv08, 221776/Z/2/Z, 227755/Z/23/Z Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, https://ror.org/00cwqg982, BB/X01097X/1 Diamond Light Source, MX32728

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Caro Kobras 🐍
@carokobras.bsky.social

Super exciting news 🚨 I am hiring a technician to join my brand new lab at the University of Birmingham! @imibirmingham.bsky.social Come and support my BBSRC-funded research on understanding how staphylococci survive antibiotics. Please share! 🧫🧪 www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DRH271/a...

jobs.ac.ukAssistant Technical Specialist at University of BirminghamSearching for an academic job? Explore this Assistant Technical Specialist opening on jobs.ac.uk! Click to view more details and browse other academic jobs.

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Hall Lab
@halllab.bsky.social

New paper out in Nature Comms 🎉 Congrats to first author @sekid.bsky.social & thanks team & collaborators We show that B. bifidum & E. coli can cooperate in the breastfed infant gut through nutrient cross-feeding, helping shape early-life microbiome development 🦠👶 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.comHuman milk oligosaccharide mediates mutualism between Escherichia coli and Bifidobacterium bifidum - Nature CommunicationsEscherichia coli is widespread in healthy breastfed infants, yet its ecological role is unclear. Here, the authors provide insights into the mechanisms supporting its persistence and co-existence with...

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Faria Tryps Lab
@fariatrypslab.bsky.social

(1/7) How does T. brucei achieve a 140-fold stoichiometric excess of VSG mRNA over upstream ESAGs from a single polycistronic unit? Our latest research in @natmicrobiol.nature.com reveals a mechanism of spatially regulated RNA decay to fine-tune expression of virulence genes

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Nature Microbiology
@natmicrobiol.nature.com

Out Now! Clostridia from preterm infants metabolize human milk oligosaccharides to suppress pathobionts and modulate intestinal function in organoids #MicroSky

go.nature.comClostridia from preterm infants metabolize human milk oligosaccharides to suppress pathobionts and modulate intestinal function in organoidsNature Microbiology, Published online: 16 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41564-026-02297-4Clostridium perfringens lacking perfringolysin O toxin isolated from preterm infants metabolizes human milk oligosaccharide disialyllacto-N-tetraose to produce metabolites that promote the growth of commensal bifidobacteria, inhibit pathogens and suppress inflammation in an organoid model.
(not) Imran Khan
@imrsankhan.bsky.social

Elegant work from Lizzie!! And very important for anyone interested in Staph biofilms

bioRxiv Microbiology@biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social

Human serum triglycerides promote Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation and antibiotic tolerance https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.05.709992v1

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Nature Microbiology
@natmicrobiol.nature.com

Out Now! Skin androgens regulate Staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity via quorum sensing #MicroSky

go.nature.comSkin androgens regulate Staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity via quorum sensingNature Microbiology, Published online: 27 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41564-026-02261-2Testosterone produced by skin cells enhances Staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity by activating quorum sensing, and a stereoisomer of testosterone that blocks this interaction inhibits bacterial cytotoxicity towards human cells.
(not) Imran Khan
@imrsankhan.bsky.social

Cool new study suggesting that some Staphs use collagen binding to evade immunity on the skin, with a substantial trade-off in terms of bacterial load and disease severity. Congrats to the authors! #microsky

nature.comCollagen binding adhesin restricts Staphylococcus aureus skin infection - Nature CommunicationsStaphylococcus aureus is able to evade host immune responses by expressing surface adhesins, like collagen binding adhesin (Cna). Here, the authors report the role of Cna during S. aureus skin infecti...

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Staph papers
@staph-papers.bsky.social

Non-canonical stringent response signaling mediates antimicrobial fatty acid sensitivity in Staphylococcus aureus t.co/tuVo4Frbzk

t.coNon-canonical stringent response signaling mediates antimicrobial fatty acid sensitivity in Staphylococcus aureus - PubMed<span><i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> is a major cause of skin and soft tissue infections, and persistent skin colonization is a significant risk factor for infection. Antimicrobial fatty acids (AFAs), produced...
(not) Imran Khan
@imrsankhan.bsky.social

Absolutely love this story! Turns out Staph aureus strains in the wild have developed some cool tricks to survive and thrive in the presence of other common bugs. Metal transport seems to be key! Great work from Sam 👏🏼👏🏼

bioRxiv Microbiology@biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social

Copper as a central element critical to interkingdom interactions within a polymicrobial wound environment. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.10.705071v1

(not) Imran Khan
@imrsankhan.bsky.social

Awesome story from Sam!

Ruth Massey@masseylab.bsky.social

The first of some rather chunky papers coming out of Sam Fenn’s work here at @uccmicrobiology.bsky.social Here we identify and characterise yet another way S. aureus survives life in the bloodstream, but remodelling a major part of its metabolism

eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.comMetabolic reprogramming promotes Staphylococcus aureus serum resistance during bacteraemia.Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of bloodstream infections causing an estimated 300,000 deaths worldwide. Using a functional genomics approach, our group previously identified that adaptation ...

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Conlon Lab
@bconlon.bsky.social

Congratulations to MD-PhD student, Amanda Velez and all co-authors on our new PNAS paper describing how the innate immune protein calprotectin incapacitates autolysins, inducing tolerance to B-lactam antibiotics. A fun collaboration with Thomas Kehl-Fie. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

pnas.orgPNASProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
(not) Imran Khan
@imrsankhan.bsky.social

Just got round to reading this great new(ish) study by Paul Fey and colleagues in Nebraska, identifying a major Arg transporter in S. aureus. Elegant work! #microsky journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

journals.asm.orgArgT functions as an arginine transporter in Staphylococcus aureus | Journal of BacteriologyStaphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of both community and hospital-acquired infection worldwide. In addition, S. aureus is resistant to many commonly used antibiotics, which make the treatment of bacteremia, infective endocarditis, and other invasive diseases more challenging. It is essential to obtain a basic understanding of how S. aureus survives in a variety of host niches, including those niches where S. aureus is dependent upon amino acid catabolism. We hypothesize that arginine acquisition is critical for S. aureus pathogenesis; therefore, identifying these transporters is essential for the development of novel therapeutic strategies.
(not) Imran Khan
@imrsankhan.bsky.social

Exciting new work using high-throughput microscopy to identify important virulence factors in S. aureus! Some awesome insights here www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.comSystematic identification of bacterial factors driving Staphylococcus aureus intracellular lifestyle in non-professional phagocytes - Nature CommunicationsThe pathogen Staphylococcus aureus can invade and replicate within human cells. Here, Rodrigues Lopes et al. use an image-based screening approach to identify S. aureus factors important for invasion,...

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Matt Hutchings
@matthutchings.bsky.social

Sensor kinase interacts directly with two distinct classes of cell wall targeting antibiotics to detect cell envelope stress. Great work onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...

onlinelibrary.wiley.comThe Histidine Kinase VraS Interacts with Vancomycin and Penicillins Through its Membrane‐Anchored N‐terminal DomainThe signals triggering activation of VraTSR, a key regulator of the cell wall stress response in Staphylococcus aureus, remain unknown. Combining crosslinking assays with vancomycin- and ampicillin-d....

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Ross Fitzgerald
@jrossfitz.bsky.social

PhD position on bacterial (Staph aureus) transporters and host-adaptation in my group @roslininstitute.bsky.social @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

findaphd.comEASTBIO How do transporters promote the fitness of Staphylococcus aureus in different host-species ? at University of Edinburgh on FindAPhD.comPhD Project - EASTBIO How do transporters promote the fitness of Staphylococcus aureus in different host-species ? at University of Edinburgh, listed on FindAPhD.com

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Rob Fagan
@robfagan.bsky.social

There's just over 2 weeks left to apply for a fully funded PhD studentship with us working on C. difficile vancomycin resistance. Two more studentships - linked in the thread below - close in early January

findaphd.comMRC DiMeN Doctoral Training Partnership: Doubling down: determining the dual function of VanT in C. difficile antibiotic resistance. at University of Sheffield on FindAPhD.comPhD Project - MRC DiMeN Doctoral Training Partnership: Doubling down: determining the dual function of VanT in C. difficile antibiotic resistance. at University of Sheffield, listed on FindAPhD.com
Rob Fagan@robfagan.bsky.social

🚨 Fully funded PhD studentships 🚨 We have three fully funded PhD studentships available for Oct 26 start. Funded by the MRC DiMeN programme & the BBSRC Yorkshire Biosciences DTP. Details below as they are advertised. Contact me here or via email for more details or to discuss an application

sites.google.comClostridial Cell Biology GroupWe are the Clostridial Cell Biology Group at the University of Sheffield. We study all aspects of cell biology, including the architecture and biogenesis of surface structures on both vegetative cells...

(not) Imran Khan reposted

Ákos T Kovács
@evolvedbiofilm.bsky.social

#ISMEJournal paper from Simon Heilbronner Competitive fitness of Staphylococcus aureus against nasal commensals depends on biotin biosynthesis and acquisition academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...

academic.oup.comCompetitive fitness of Staphylococcus aureus against nasal commensals depends on biotin biosynthesis and acquisitionAbstract. The human nasal microbiome can serve as a reservoir for pathogens. In particular, the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus can be a membe