César Sánchez

César Sánchez

@twistedbacteria.bsky.social

Microbiology editor at a multidisciplinary open-access journal. Born & raised in Asturias, Spain. In the UK since 2008. Dad ×3, husband ×1. Posts in English and Spanish. LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/CesarSanchez The views expressed are my own. Pues eso.

899 followers710 following466 posts

César Sánchez
@twistedbacteria.bsky.social

"Do not begin by asking how many animals(*) will satisfy a journal, but begin by identifying the smallest, most rigorous experimental design that can genuinely test the hypothesis & convince editors, reviewers and readers of the advance presented" * I'd add: or if any animals are actually needed!

nature.comAnimal numbers are not a proxy for scientific strength - Nature Biomedical EngineeringJudicious animal model design and selection, rather than experimental excess, is key to generating robust, informative and ethically responsible evidence in biomedical research.
César Sánchez
@twistedbacteria.bsky.social

ICYMI The generation of functional viral genomes has urgent biosafety and biosecurity implications "The ability to compose viral genomes using generative AI now exists; the governance to safely steer it does not" www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

science.orgAI-designed viral genomesThe generation of functional viral genomes has urgent biosafety and biosecurity implications
César Sánchez@twistedbacteria.bsky.social

🦠 Designing Novel Bacteriophages with AI www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjZV...

youtube.comDesigning Novel Bacteriophages with AIYouTube video by ASM - Microbes Make Our World
César Sánchez
@twistedbacteria.bsky.social

"Readers should be invited to identify with nonbinary protagonists, and gain a new perspective on old beliefs" "I’m all about defamiliarization in A Wall Is Also a Road, where my protagonist Gardenpath is a nonbinary slime mold from beyond the galaxy, trying to make it through graduate school"

reactormag.comWhy Pronouns Matter in Science Fiction - ReactorReaders should be invited to identify with nonbinary protagonists, and gain a new perspective on old beliefs.
César Sánchez@twistedbacteria.bsky.social

"A a single-celled alien is perplexed by Earth’s biology in Annalee Newitz’s A Wall Is Also a Road" "Newitz clearly put a lot of thought into working out what a highly intelligent,sophisticated single-celled culture would look like, and that also makes for great enjoyment"

newscientist.comThese two new sci-fi novels by Claire North and Annalee Newitz really impressed us | New ScientistA time traveller must fight for love in Claire North’s As We Fall Through Time, while a single-celled alien is perplexed by Earth’s biology in Annalee Newitz’s A Wall Is Also a Road. Sci-fi columnist ...
César Sánchez
@twistedbacteria.bsky.social

"A a single-celled alien is perplexed by Earth’s biology in Annalee Newitz’s A Wall Is Also a Road" "Newitz clearly put a lot of thought into working out what a highly intelligent,sophisticated single-celled culture would look like, and that also makes for great enjoyment"

newscientist.comThese two new sci-fi novels by Claire North and Annalee Newitz really impressed us | New ScientistA time traveller must fight for love in Claire North’s As We Fall Through Time, while a single-celled alien is perplexed by Earth’s biology in Annalee Newitz’s A Wall Is Also a Road. Sci-fi columnist ...
César Sánchez
@twistedbacteria.bsky.social

🦠 Cracking the Archaeal Cell Wall: How a hydrolase overturned a 50-year-old paradigm The story behind the paper! "...our nemesis, the 85Da mass, was present in all tested species and was still inexplicable…" communities.springernature.com/posts/cracki...

communities.springernature.comCracking the Archaeal Cell Wall: How a hydrolase overturned a 50-year-old paradigmUsing bioinformatics, biochemistry, NMR, as well as the newly characterized enzyme ArmA from methanogenic archaea, we revised the existing knowledge on archaeal peptidoglycan structure. At the same ti...
César Sánchez@twistedbacteria.bsky.social

A methanogen hydrolase reveals the structure of archaeal peptidoglycan www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🦠 Shareable link to read the paper: rdcu.be/FJXrUPAdeswa

nature.comA methanogen hydrolase reveals the structure of archaeal peptidoglycan - NatureArmA from Methanobrevibacter smithii, a dominant member of the human gut microbiome, is identified and characterized as a glycosyl hydrolase specific for cleaving the cell wall of methanogens, reveali...
César Sánchez
@twistedbacteria.bsky.social

A single archaeon couples long-chain fatty acid oxidation to methanogenesis So, "methanogens can function as primary degraders of complex organic matter, challenging the classical syntrophic paradigm" 🦠 (shareable link to read the article: rdcu.be/t3PwCaNNrEMa) www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.comA single archaeon couples long-chain fatty acid oxidation to methanogenesis - NatureMethanoglobus dolicholipophagus AA-75 is a thermophilic archaeon isolated from a Chinese petroleum reservoir that converts methanol into methane, carbon dioxide and acetate, and uses saturated and&nbs...
César Sánchez
@twistedbacteria.bsky.social

"NIH Websites Are Changing" "Per Executive Order 14434, federal agencies are now using "Super Intelligence" (SI) in place of "Artificial Intelligence" (AI). You may see both terms across NIH content during this transition."

César Sánchez reposted

Ellinor Alseth
@ellinoralseth.bsky.social

The very last bit of data from my PhD is out! Read on to learn more about why the presence of A. baumannii results in more CRISPR-based #phage resistance in P. aeruginosa 🦠🧫 www.cell.com/current-biol...?

cell.comInterbacterial competition triggers stress-induced CRISPR immunity against bacteriophagesCustodio et al. show that interbacterial competition can actively promote CRISPR immunity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Competition triggers an SOS-associated response that primes adaptive antiphage defense, linking interspecies conflict and cellular stress to the evolution of phage resistance.

César Sánchez reposted

Kaçar Lab at UW-Madison
@kacarlab.bsky.social

How does evolution add new functions to proteins that are billions of years old? Our new paper explores how an ancient, essential component of the translation machinery (initiation IF2) evolved new ways to help bacteria survive environmental stress. Out now! 🧬 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.comEvolutionary extensions of IF2 couple translation initiation to bacterial stress adaptation - Nature CommunicationsTranslation initiation factor 2 (IF2) is a universally conserved component of the protein synthesis machinery. Here, Fer et al. show that IF2 terminal extensions couple translation initiation to stres...
César Sánchez
@twistedbacteria.bsky.social

From professional isolation to global connection with Women in Phage (shareable link to read the article: rdcu.be/aWQmb6ygnp7a) Women In Phage: womeninphage.phage.directory 🦠 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.comFrom professional isolation to global connection with Women in Phage - Nature MicrobiologyThe creation of a network that brings together like-minded colleagues transforms professional isolation into global connections that reaffirm commitment to phage research, writes Fatma Abdelrahman.

César Sánchez reposted

Séamus Holden 🔬🦠🧫
@seamusholden.bsky.social

PhD project available in my lab at University of Warwick: "Using super-resolution microscopy to investigate the mechanistic principles of bacterial cell wall remodelling" September 2027 start date. Apply by 23rd Nov 2026. Informal enquiries by email, with CV. www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

findaphd.comUsing super-resolution microscopy to investigate the mechanistic principles of bacterial cell wall remodelling at University of Warwick on FindAPhD.comPhD Project - Using super-resolution microscopy to investigate the mechanistic principles of bacterial cell wall remodelling at University of Warwick, listed on FindAPhD.com
César Sánchez
@twistedbacteria.bsky.social

"Environmental AMR only constitutes a meaningful risk when resistant bacteria overcome key ecological & transmission barriers to reach, persist in & colonize susceptible hosts" 🦠 (A. Gide: Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no one was listening, it must be said again)😉

sciencedirect.comWhen does environmental antimicrobial resistance become a health risk?Environmental antimicrobial resistance (AMR) only constitutes a meaningful risk when resistant bacteria overcome key ecological and transmission barri…

César Sánchez reposted

nmaslac.bsky.social
@nmaslac.bsky.social

Our story about molecular adaptive traits of hyperthermostable archaeal nitrogenase is now out in @natcomms.nature.com !🦠🔍 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.comMolecular basis of N2 fixation in a hyperthermophilic archaeon - Nature CommunicationsNitrogenases are enzymes that convert atmospheric N2 into ammonia, thus providing bioavailable nitrogen to living organisms. Here, Maslać et al. describe a highly thermostable, simple nitrogenase from...

César Sánchez reposted

Susan Schlimpert
@s-lab.bsky.social

Two PhD opportunities in our lab: 1. What do bacterial NLR proteins do beyond phage defence? Join us to explore how these proteins regulate viability, multicellular development and antibiotic production in Streptomyces. Apply 👉 shorturl.at/N8Abx #PhD #Microsky #Bioinformatics #Streptomyces

shorturl.atFrom Defence to Antibiotic production: Uncovering New Roles for NLR Signalling in Multicellular Bacteria (SCHLIMPERT_J27DTP) | Doctoral Training PartnershipNucleotide-binding and oligomerisation domain-like receptors (NLRs) are famous for driving immune responses in plants and animals. However, their extensive presence in multicellular…
César Sánchez
@twistedbacteria.bsky.social

These beetles use a yellow protein as a building material to house and protect symbiotic bacteria 🦠 The insect packages the bacteria into small gelatinous spheres & glues them onto the outside of each of its eggs. Around 11 days later, the beetle larva hatches & eats the bacteria-containing spheres

jic.ac.ukBeetles build with a yellow pigment gene | John Innes CentreMore than 80 years ago scientists discovered that differences in yellow pigmentation were critical to courtship success and failure for fruit flies. New research has added a deeper perspective to the…
César Sánchez
@twistedbacteria.bsky.social

Fungal Starship transposons for interspecies gene transfer 🦠 (shareable link to read this content: rdcu.be/v7W2fixtHska) www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.comFungal Starship transposons for interspecies gene transfer - Nature Reviews MicrobiologyThis Genome Watch article highlights how giant fungal Starship transposons may facilitate the horizontal transfer of smaller transposable elements and adaptive genes across species, contributing to ra...

César Sánchez reposted

Elinne Becket, PhD
@bielleogy.bsky.social

Editing/reviewing manuscripts is indeed a lot of work, but reading a thoughtful and thorough Response to Reviewers just brings me so much joy. This is why we science. Kudos to these authors.

César Sánchez
@twistedbacteria.bsky.social

#Genealogy #FamilyHistory "Most of the people we research will never get the chance to correct us. So the best I can do is stay close to the evidence. Write what the records support. Explain the world around them. Be clear when something is uncertain. Leave room for what I do not know"

ancestralfindings.comWould My Ancestors Recognize the Story I Wrote About Them?An old record can tell me where an ancestor lived without telling me why they moved or how they felt. I’ve been considering how easily my assumptions can become part of the family story, and how to ke...

César Sánchez reposted

Craig MacLean
@craigmaclean.bsky.social

Postdoc position available in my group to work on ERC funded project on evolutionary biology of antibiotic resistance. Looking for someone with expertise in bacterial genetics, AMR, and evolutionary biology. www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DSZ416/p...

jobs.ac.ukPostdoctoral Research Associate at University of OxfordExplore an exciting academic career as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. Don't miss out on other academic jobs. Click to apply and explore more opportunities.

César Sánchez reposted

Christophe Zimmer
@chzimmer.bsky.social

Can you tell how an antibiotic kills bacteria just by watching them under a regular microscope — without any dyes ? Yes, it turns out, at least if you are a deep neural net.

César Sánchez
@twistedbacteria.bsky.social

"Scientists are battling over whether supposedly simple organisms 🦠 should be considered ‘intelligent’. The outcome could reshape our understanding of the natural world – and our own place within it" www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...

theguardian.com‘This is dangerous’: slime moulds and the bitter debate over the nature of intelligenceThe long read: Scientists are battling over whether supposedly simple organisms should be considered ‘intelligent’. The outcome could reshape our understanding of the natural world – and our own place...

César Sánchez reposted

Nature Communications
@natcomms.nature.com

Editors often see studies that overstate their impact, which can undermine trust rather than build it. Our new Editorial argues limitations aren't a flaw to hide and should not be an afterthought. They're a strength to build research on, especially in Engineering www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.comPush until it breaks: engineering is stronger when we know its limits - Nature CommunicationsEngineering and applied science papers too often stop at what succeeds. We ask authors to push their assumptions, methods, models, or devices until they falter, and to report where and why t...