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The resurgence of phage therapy has renewed interest in the interplay between phage resistance and antibiotic susceptibility and has stimulated research in the emergent field of non-canonical cellular...

Abstract. Toxin-antitoxin systems (TAs) are widespread in bacterial genomes. Yet, their integration, persistence, and impact in chromosome dynamics remain

Using Hi-C metagenomics, this study maps how plasmids associate with bacterial hosts across wastewater treatment. They find that plasmid host range narrows from influent to effluent, and a few bacteri...

Project Code IIAR27Ba Matlock Project Type Wet lab Research Theme Infection, Immunity, and Antimicrobial Resistance Project Summary Download Summary Plasmids are important drivers of antimicrobial res...

Recent discoveries on bacterial immunity have revealed that several protein domains involved in anti-phage defense are conserved in eukaryotes, such as SIRim, TIR, PNP and gasdermin. Bacterial immune ...

Abstract. Insertion sequences (ISs) are widespread prokaryotic transposable elements, often regarded as genomic parasites that primarily cause deleterious

Nature Microbiology, Published online: 03 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41564-026-02474-5Integron insertion sites engineered into counterselection markers allow large-scale and high-throughput capture of integron-encoded genes from genetically tractable bacteria or DNA samples.

Bacterial genomes are remarkably dynamic, shaped by horizontal transfer of plasmids that follow evolutionary trajectories of their own. This study uses eco-evolutionary perspectives to reveal how the ...

Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) are a major pathway for untreated wastewater into urban streams, yet their role in shaping antimicrobial resistance (AMR) dynamics remains poorly understood. Here, we u...

The origin of life is often framed primarily as a chemical problem, yet life's defining feature is evolution. Advances in geochemistry, prebiotic chemistry, and molecular biology have produced diverse...

Conjugative plasmids are a class of mobile genetic elements capable of efficient transfer between bacterial cells. Although they can introduce beneficial traits such as antibiotic resistance to recipi...

Yang et al. reveal a dynamic DdmDE-mediated plasmid clearance pathway. Transient DNA bubbles permit promiscuous DdmE binding, while target specificity arises from slower dissociation at matched sites. DdmE then recruits a DdmD dimer to drive target-centered, bidirectional dsDNA unwinding. Free DdmD subsequently coats extruded ssDNA to enable site-specific endonucleolytic cleavage.

Abstract. Low-copy-number plasmids often rely on dedicated maintenance mechanisms, such as partitioning systems, to ensure stable inheritance across genera

Abstract. Phage therapy offers a promising alternative to antibiotics for treating multidrug-resistant infections. Plasmid-dependent phages (PDPs) are part

npj Antimicrobials and Resistance - Changes in antimicrobial resistance profiles of Escherichia coli and the metagenome on Dutch pig farms after antimicrobial usage interventions

It remains unclear how viral genomes remain relatively stable over time, given the rapid co-evolution seen within hosts. Here, authors explore complex marine phage-bacteria dynamics using over 1000 ph...

How complex multi-gene systems evolve across genetic backgrounds without disruptive epistasis remains unclear, particularly in highly exchangeable loci such as the capsule of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Th...

Inactivation of chromosomal genes through plasmid-encoded IS elements is an extended mechanism of antimicrobial resistance evolution in bacteria.

The acquisition of a parasitic anti-phage mobile genetic element, PLE11, showing potent anti-phage activity against cocirculating ICP1, and the subsequent evolution of ICP1 to escape this defense, are...

Using individual-level data from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register and fecal metagenomes of 14,979 individuals in Sweden, the authors examined the association between oral antibiotic use over 8 yea...