Mark Mandel

Mark Mandel

@markjmandel.bsky.social

Bacterial geneticist focused on microbe-animal communication. Professor UW-Madison. Messages are my personal views.

2.8K followers922 following238 posts

Mark Mandel reposted

Aileen Berasategui
@berasymbionts.bsky.social

Postdoc opening in my lab! Looking for someone excited about genomes, symbionts and plant–insect interactions to join our team at @thesainsburylab.bsky.social. 🧬🍄🌿🦟 Applications reviewed from 16 Nov. buff.ly/WZtMcGs

buff.lyPostdoctoral Researcher
The Sainsbury Laboratory@thesainsburylab.bsky.social

VACANCY: Postdoctoral Researcher in the Berasategui Lab at TSL, Norwich, UK @berasymbionts.bsky.social Work at the interface of evolutionary genomics, plant pathology and insect symbiosis, within a world-class research environment. Application review starts 16 Nov 2026 buff.ly/WZtMcGs

buff.lyPostdoctoral ResearcherBerasategui Lab, The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL), Norwich, United Kingdom

Mark Mandel reposted

Lars Dietrich
@laahrs.bsky.social

Incredibly excited about our latest work on R-bodies, 5+ years in the making! These coiled protein ribbons extend into ~10 µm needles in a pH-dependent manner & we caught them springing open inside amoebae after P. aeruginosa gets eaten. (animation: Jegg Yoon)🧵1/2 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Mark Mandel reposted

Katie Spoon
@kspoon.bsky.social

Replying to @kspoon.bsky.social

We found that the most gendered experience wasn’t work-life balance, the focus of most retention efforts. It was feeling devalued, in formal evaluations, but particularly in everyday interactions. Unlike every other topic, the gender gap in devaluation was larger among more senior faculty.

Mark Mandel reposted

George O'Toole (he/him/his)
@geiselbiofilm.bsky.social

Applications for Microbial Diversity are now open! A once-in-a-lifetime experience is an application away! www.mbl.edu/education/ad... @mblscience.bsky.social #MicrobialDiversity

mbl.eduMicrobial Diversity | Marine Biological LaboratoryThe goal of the course is to teach professors, postdocs and advanced graduate students how to discover, cultivate, and isolate diverse microorganisms catalyzing a breadth of chemical transformations, ...

Mark Mandel reposted

Heran Darwin, PhD
@heran.bsky.social

It's happening! NYUGSM Microbiology is hiring and I'd love to see more bacteriology here! Please repost and spread the word!

Heran Darwin, PhD@heran.bsky.social

www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/44...

linkedin.comAssistant Professor, Department of Microbiology at NYU Langone Health — New York, NY | LinkedIn JobsApply for Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology at NYU Langone Health in New York, NY. Full-time Not Applicable role. See responsibilities, qualifications, and similar jobs on LinkedIn.

Mark Mandel reposted

Gina Lewin
@ginalewin.bsky.social

Excited to share a new minireview from my lab led by @anyawoj.bsky.social and Melissa Shinfuku. We highlight how multiple variants of a single bacterial species can coexist in the human body and how this impacts human health. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... #Microsky #Microbiome #Microdiversity

journals.asm.orgNo strain, no gain: within-host bacterial microdiversity and human health | Infection and ImmunityThe bacterial world is teeming with diversity, from cyanobacteria to episymbiotic Saccharibacteria to the well-studied Escherichia coli. However, even within a single species, organisms vary in their gene content and gene sequences, leading to significant functional differences across very closely related bacteria. For instance, two isolates of E. coli may share only 40% of the same gene content, allowing different strains to function as human pathogens, gut mutualists, or environmental specialists (1–4). Although this population-level diversity in bacteria has been long-recognized, recent studies have increasingly emphasized that a single person can harbor multiple genotypes of a species at the same time within a single body site. High within-host intra-species diversity can occur in the human microbiota, including in the gut, skin, oral cavity, and vagina. Furthermore, although acute infections are primarily monoclonal, chronic infections can often be polyclonal. Both in the microbiota and in chronic infections, this high intra-species diversity can occur when multiple strains colonize a site over time and when bacteria diversify through evolutionary processes.

Mark Mandel reposted

Drew Hryckowian
@a-hryckowian.bsky.social

Huge congratulations to @uwmadisonmdtp.bsky.social PhD student @alex-dobrila.bsky.social on leading this new paper! This is the first part of Alex's thesis work, where he shows that C. difficile uses EndD to mediate butyrate-dependent toxin release and sporulation. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

journals.asm.orgEndD mediates butyrate-dependent toxin release and sporulation in Clostridioides difficile | Journal of BacteriologyClostridioides difficile is a leading cause of infectious diarrhea. The gut microbiome-derived short-chain fatty acid butyrate triggers C. difficile to release its major virulence factors, toxins TcdA...
Mark Mandel
@markjmandel.bsky.social

Congratulations to UW-Madison physicist Francis Halzen!!! @uwmadison.bsky.social

Nobel Prize@nobelprize.org

BREAKING NEWS The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2026 #NobelPrize in Physics to Francis Halzen “for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin.”

Mark Mandel reposted

Kedrick Stumbris
@kedrickstumbris.bsky.social

I have a pair of terrace level tickets to Game 1 of the NLDS in Milwaukee this Saturday Unfortunately, it seems hockey will be getting in the way of those plans. If anyone has Game 2 tickets and is interested in trading games so you can see the Miz start Game 1, please hit my DMs!

Mark Mandel reposted

Tessa Montague
@tessamontague.bsky.social

I'm excited to share our new preprint: Generation of a transgenic cephalopod tinyurl.com/pc86jxz8 Cephalopods (cuttlefish, octopus & squid) are crazy critters that dynamically camouflage to their surroundings by changing the color, pattern, & texture of their skin, which they control w their brain.

Mark Mandel
@markjmandel.bsky.social

"A journal that grows older and stays young" - Wonderful look at Journal of Bacteriology from Editor Tao Dong, through the lens of different career stages and with a global eye. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

journals.asm.orgA journal that grows older and stays young | Journal of BacteriologyFew journals in microbiology carry the history, continuity, and influence of the Journal of Bacteriology (JB). Since its founding in 1916, JB has published for more than a century and has served as a ...

Mark Mandel reposted

Jan-Ulrik Dahl (Dahl lab, ISU)
@janulrikdahl.bsky.social

Join us and become my colleague! The School of Biological Sciences is opening the search for an Assistant Professor in the field of Host-Microbe Interactions with the targeted start date of Fall 2027. Please reach out to me with any questions you have: jobsearch.illinoisstate.edu/jobs/assista...

jobsearch.illinoisstate.eduASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN HOST-MICROBE INTERACTIONS (IMMUNOLOGY, MICROBIOLOGY) - Normal, Illinois, Illinois, United StatesTitle: ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN HOST-MICROBE INTERACTIONS (IMMUNOLOGY, MICROBIOLOGY)Employee Classification: Asst ProfessorDivision Name: Academic AffairsCollege/Unit: College of Arts and SciencesDepart...

Mark Mandel reposted

Ira Blader
@bladerlab.bsky.social

Replying to @markjmandel.bsky.social

I enjoyed reading this as it reminded me that when used correctly genetics can tell us so much about biological processes. I worry that our trainees are not learning this as we focus on teaching the latest and greatest. Hopefully Tom's article will remind everyone about the power of genetics

Mark Mandel
@markjmandel.bsky.social

Career retrospective from Tom Silhavy as he winds down his laboratory. An amazing legacy from which I am fortunate to have benefitted. @princetonmolbio.bsky.social journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

journals.asm.orgmSphere Legacy: A career built on suppressors | mSphereI grew up in a small town, Wauseon, in the northwest corner of Ohio. Although I enjoyed science and math classes in high school, a career in research and academia never crossed my mind. I worked for s...
Mark Mandel
@markjmandel.bsky.social

Check out the first paper from Maggie Alexander's Lab at @uwmadisonmmi.bsky.social on microbiota-mediated immune regulation, with collaboration from Gustavo Caballero-Flores's group! @margaretalexander.bsky.social @asm.org journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

journals.asm.orgβ-Hydroxybutyrate precursor 1,3-butanediol modulates enteric pathogen susceptibility and Th17 responses via commensal bacteria | mSystemsDiet is a key determinant of gut microbial composition and mucosal immune function, yet the microbial mechanisms linking diet-mediated metabolic changes to immune regulation remain incompletely understood. T helper 17 (Th17) cells play central roles in both protective mucosal immunity and inflammatory pathology, making them a critical target of immunometabolic regulation. In this study, we show that 1,3-butanediol (BD) treatment, which leads to elevated circulating β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) independently of diet, is associated with suppression of intestinal Th17 responses, remodeling of the gut microbiota, and reduced levels of segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB). We further demonstrate that BHB-associated microbiota changes are linked to increased susceptibility to enteric infection. This work provides a mechanistic framework illustrating how metabolic state can influence host immunity through selective effects on commensal microbes. These findings inform future studies of microbiota-mediated immune regulation.

Mark Mandel reposted

Ben Parker
@ben-parker.bsky.social

Excited that our new paper with @henrylabsymbio.bsky.social and Kerry Oliver is out @pnas.org! We show that mobile genetic elements can spread adaptive host-benefiting traits across heritable insect symbionts on eco-evolutionary timescales.🧵 www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

pnas.orgPhenotypic divergence is driven by mobile genetic elements in a heritable insect symbiont | PNASHeritable microbes profoundly influence insect biology, yet the traits they confer often evolve rapidly and differ among closely related symbiont s...

Mark Mandel reposted

Catherine Armbruster
@catarmbruster.bsky.social

Check out this article I wrote (with help from profession editors!) for @us.theconversation.com on our project that uses principles from ecology & evolution to guide our search for microbes that improve bioremediation of brownfields! @cmuscience.bsky.social theconversation.com/at-an-old-st...

theconversation.comAt an old steel site in Pittsburgh, bacteria evolved to survive – and eat – industrial pollutionDecades of pollution at Pittsburgh brownfields left bacteria that evolved to survive it – and maybe help clean up contaminated soil.

Mark Mandel reposted

Vaughn Cooper
@vscooper.micropopbio.org

Authors!🚨 While you scramble for scarce $ 🤔 “Springer Nature reports revenue growth of 6.2%..and adjusted operating profit growth of 7.7%. They reported even more stunning submission growth of 30% and published article growth of 13%.” Publishing in society journals helps YOU not them👇🏻. Pass it on.

Mark Mandel reposted

Genome Biology and Evolution
@genomebiolevol.bsky.social

@guyleonard.eurosky.social @brockhurstlab.bsky.social et al. report a T2T genome for Micractinium conductrix, an endosymbiont of Paramecium bursaria, publishing one of the most complete Chlorellaceae algal genome assemblies to date 🔗 academic.oup.com/gbe/article/... #societyjournal #genome #algae

academic.oup.comDe Novo Genome Sequence Assembly of the Algal Endosymbiont Micractinium conductrix Derived From Its Host Paramecium bursaria 186bAbstract. Endosymbiosis is a major driver of evolutionary innovation and underpins the function of diverse ecosystems. The origins and evolution of endosym

Mark Mandel reposted

Manuel Kleiner
@manuelkleiner.bsky.social

We are looking to hire a microbiology laboratory research technician here at NC State in Raleigh, NC. If you have experience in microbiology and/or LC-MS/MS please consider applying. Please repost! jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/234...

jobs.ncsu.eduMicrobiology Laboratory Research TechnicianThe Kleiner Lab at North Carolina State University is seeking a Research Technician to support research focused on complex microbial communities, microbial symbioses, and metaproteomics. Reporting to ...

Mark Mandel reposted

Jean-Michel Ané
@jeanmichelane.bsky.social

Latest paper from our lab in collaboration with Jason Wallace and Natalia de Leon -> Genetic determinants of aerial root morphology in Sierra Mixe-derived maize

sco.ltGenetic determinants of aerial root morphology in Sierra Mixe-derived maizeKey Message We mapped key regions of the maize genome that influence the formation of aboveground (aerial) roots, which in some varieties have been associated with symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Abstract Modern agriculture relies heavily on chemically synthesized nitrogen fertilizers, which ensure high yields but also carry high economic and environmental costs. Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) supplies high amounts of nitrogen to legumes, and several avenues of research are underway to extend it to cereal crops. In maize, aerial roots formed in Sierra Mixe landraces have been associated with BNF. However, much of the genetics underlying aerial root morphology remains unknown. Here, we evaluate aerial root morphology traits associated with BNF in three segregating populations derived from crosses between two Midwest-adapted inbred lines and three landraces. Inclusive composite interval mapping (iCIM) with flowering time as a covariate identified 37 quantitative trait loci (QTL) for three aerial root traits (nodes with roots, root size, and roots per node) which exhibit moderately high heritability (H2 = 0.65 to 0.83). The combined proportion of phenotypic variance explained by the detected QTL ranged from 23 to 51%, depending on the trait and population, and potential candidate genes were identified through literature searches, macrosynteny, and gene expression analyses. Introgressing the most relevant aerial root-associated QTL into elite genotypes may provide a path toward achieving meaningful levels of BNF-associated traits in maize, but further work is needed to assess this approach's viability under field conditions.

Mark Mandel reposted

Frances Yap
@ribo1214.bsky.social

#MicroSky act fast! Sept 4th is the registration deadline for Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference (MMPC) that will be held in Minneapolis from Sept 25-27 #mmpc2026

Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference@mmpconference.bsky.social

MMPC registration & hotel block closes this week! Your to-do list before *September 4*: 1) Register for the meeting! ✅ 2) Reserve your hotel room! ✅ 3) Get your official MMPC t-shirt! ✅ Check off all these tasks here ➡️ mmpc2026.umn.edu See you in Minneapolis! #mmpc2026

mmpc2026.umn.eduMidwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference | Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference 2026

Mark Mandel reposted

Shai Bel (The Mucus Man)
@mucusman.bsky.social

🚨🚨 THE MUCUS IS COMING TO AMERICA!! I'm excited to announce that I will be joining the wonderful @uwmadisonmmi.bsky.social to continue exploring the wonders of mucus!

Medical Microbiology & Immunology@uwmadisonmmi.bsky.social

🎉 Please help us welcome our new faculty member Dr. Shai Bel! The Bel lab uses state-of-the-art mouse models, combined with high resolution microscopy and molecular biology to understand how the intestine functions. mmi.wisc.edu/meet-our-res...

Mark Mandel reposted

Greg Harrison
@bactophile.bsky.social

Gotta say that I’m extra proud of this team effort out in JB! Our understanding of Cdif division is in its infancy & there’s so much work to be done. Shoutout to @shailab.bsky.social for laying the foundation & starting this cool project with @polakuhn.bsky.social!! journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

journals.asm.orgDefining the order of assembly of the Clostridioides difficile divisome complex | Journal of BacteriologyBacterial cell division has been extensively studied in model systems, but little is known about how this essential process occurs in the clinically important pathogen Clostridioides difficile. Studie...

Mark Mandel reposted

Carl Zimmer
@carlzimmer.com

The lab is a mysterious place--where some people have "magic hands," and some experiments just won't work. Here's my story about the unspoken knowledge of science, and the struggle to share it. Gift link: nyti.ms/3UccF7Z

Mark Mandel reposted

ASM
@asm.org

🚀 Lead the next chapter of #IAIJournal! Following 10 years of exceptional service by Editor in Chief (EIC) Andreas Bäumler, Ph.D., ASM seeks applications/nominations for the next EIC. The initial 5-year term begins July 1, 2027. Apply or nominate by Sept. 18: asm.social/33R

Mark Mandel reposted

Jeff Day
@jeffday.bsky.social

i finally get to say this: I've got a new paper out with @hadalbloke.bsky.social, Joao Corona (Magnapinna Archive), Yakup Niyazi, and Denise J Swanborn: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

link.springer.comGlobal distribution and depth of the Bigfin squid Magnapinna spp - Marine BiologyThe Bigfin squid Magnapinna spp. is elusive and rarely encountered, yet its charismatic morphology of large fins and extraordinarily long tentacle filaments makes it an instantly recognisable deep-sea...

Mark Mandel reposted

Alex Bisson
@archaeon-alex.bsky.social

Yet another myth collapses and joins Ethidium Bromide. Next one will be "having dedicated RNA bench and pipettes" journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

journals.asm.orgAs a component of aseptic technique, Bunsen burners do not universally decrease deposition of microbe-containing particles | Microbiology SpectrumThe ability to manipulate and control microbial presence in built environments is imperative to research and medicine. The lack of documented evidence relating Bunsen burner use and airborne contamina...

Mark Mandel reposted

ASM
@asm.org

Become part of the ASM community! Join the world's leading microbial science community and receive 50% off 2026 membership when you use code 50OFF2026 at checkout. Don't miss this limited-time opportunity—offer ends Sept 30. asm.social/33n