iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Felipe H Santiago-Tirado

BWJones @bwjones.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Science peeps: Looks like SciENcv updated the digital certificate used to sign Biosketch and Current & Pending documents without notification. The old certificate expires Saturday, September 26, 2026. SciENcv docs before that date may fail validation in eRA Commons delaying or blocking submission.

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

#JobAlert Virginia Tech’s Biological Sciences is hiring molecular microbiologists! They are looking for ppl using molecular techniques to study bacteria, fungi, or viruses, with special focus on health, applied/environmental microbiology, and microbial biology. jobs.apply.vt.edu/jobs/assista...

jobs.apply.vt.edu

Assistant/Associate Professor - Blacksburg, Virginia, United States

Job Description The Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Science at Virginia Tech seeks applicants for two (2) tenure-track research and teaching positions at the Assistant/Associate ...

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

These defects translate into attenuated virulence and delayed disease progression in animal models. Thus, given its activity as a HMT, we propose it is an important epigenetic regulator of host adaptation. Given its conservation in fungal pathogens, our results might be broadly applicable. 4 of 4

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Set202 is important for phagosomal membrane damage and maturation, promoting intracellular survival in host macrophages. When absent, mutants exhibit severe defects in virulence traits like reduced capsule size, impaired melanization, and growth defects - but ONLY under host-like conditions! 3 of 4

Fluorescence microscopy of infected cells.

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

While screening for fungal genes involved in phagosomal permeabilization we, again, found SET202. Thus, we decided to study its function and focus on characterizing this gene. We show that Set202 is as a bonafide histone3 lysine-36 methyltransferase. Its deletion affect many virulence traits. 2 of 4

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

The gene SET202 has been identified previously by us and others as an important gene in pathogenesis; but its actual function has not been studied. SET202 is predicted to encode a histone methyltransferase (HMT), which is why it was called SET202 (its homologue in model yeast SET2 is a HMT). 1 of 4

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

🚨Preprint alert! 🚨 The latest story from the lab is posted at bioRxiv "Set202 is a histone lysine methyltransferase that enables Cryptococcus neoformans to adapt to the host environment" doi.org/10.64898/202... A short🧵below

doi.org

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Fungal researchers in training: if interested in doing a postdoc, check out this fellowship program from @notredame.bsky.social. The Notre Dame Society of Science Fellows provides salary support, research funds, and structured mentorship & cohort support. Info: sciencepostdocs.nd.edu/jobs/univers...

sciencepostdocs.nd.edu

University of Notre Dame's Society of Science Fellows

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

To finish this year's Fungal Awareness Week, remember fungi are everywhere. Most of the time we don't get sick, but people with weakened immune systems are more likely to get infections. We can help protect ourselves by recognizing susceptibilities and being aware of them! youtu.be/N2ycE2yfPS0?...

youtu.be

Fungal Diseases Start Where Life Happens

YouTube video by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

#ThinkFungus Antifungal drugs save lives by treating fungal infections. However, some fungi can defeat the drugs designed to kill them, making infections difficult, or impossible to treat. With only 3 classes of antifungals available, this is a serious health concern. Learn more here: bit.ly/3YUkbob

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

You can be exposed to fungi that cause pneumonia through activities like gardening, hiking, & touring caves. Tell your doctor about recent travel, especially if you develop symptoms of pneumonia & antibiotics aren't helping. More info here: bit.ly/3YUANfl

bit.ly

Fungal Community-Acquired Pneumonias

In the U.S., three types of fungi commonly infect the lungs and can cause pneumonia.

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

#JobAlert Come be my colleague! We are looking for a microbiologist in the broad sense - bacteria, fungi, viral, or parasite biology, pathogenesis, or host-microbe interactions. More info here: apply.interfolio.com/192535

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Fungal infections can have the same symptoms as illnesses caused by bacteria or viruses, but people don't think about it, delaying the diagnosis. This delay results in delayed treatment, allowing for serious illness that is challenging to treat. Always think, it could be fungal! #ThinkFungus26

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

This year's Fungal Awareness Week is next week!!! Check out resources here: www.cdc.gov/fungal/

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Reposted by Felipe H Santiago-Tirado

Ana Flores-Mireles @afloresmireles.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Introducing Dr. Alyssa La Bella!!🎓✨ Felipe and I couldn’t not be prouder of you!! You’ve done such an incredible work throughout your PhD studies, and your research has been crucial to advancing our understanding of fungal urinary tract infections!!! Congratulations, Doctor! @felipehst.bsky.social

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

NEW RESEARCH ALERT! Continuing our collaborative work on fungal catheter-associated UTIs, here we identified and validated the urine-specific regulatory genes driving these common infections, including a novel role for the gene EED1. Thanks to all authors! Read it here: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

pnas.org

The unique Efg1 fungal virulence regulon in the catheterized bladder environment | PNAS

Urinary catheterization, a frequent procedure in hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities, is a primary driver of nosocomial infec...

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Reposted by Felipe H Santiago-Tirado

Ana Flores-Mireles @afloresmireles.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Ever wonder how fungal infections take hold in the bladder? 🔬. Our new research sheds light on fungal virulence in human and mouse models during catheterization! alabella14.bsky.social, @nickgervais.bsky.social, @felipehst.bsky.social, @shapirorebecca.bsky.social www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

pnas.org

The unique Efg1 fungal virulence regulon in the catheterized bladder environment | PNAS

Urinary catheterization, a frequent procedure in hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities, is a primary driver of nosocomial infec...

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Reposted by Felipe H Santiago-Tirado

Nate Bahr @natebahrid.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

We have multiple faculty positions open at UMN, one is research intensive, the other is primarily clinical. Feel free to reach out if interested or see the links below! umphysicians.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/umpcar... umphysicians.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/umpcar...

umphysicians.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com

Infectious Diseases Physician - Assistant Professor

Program / Unit Description The Division of Infectious Diseases & International Medicine at the University of Minnesota is a globally recognized leader in clinical research and implementation scien...

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

If this rule is implemented, OMB and its boss (the architect of Project 25) can override peer-review and decide to fund whatever they want. Please read more here: Another red alert for American science | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

science.org

Another red alert for American science

Although research has bipartisan support in the US Congress, and trust in science is above 75% across the country, the Trump administration seems as determined as ever to mortally wound the nation’s s...

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Dear Midwest colleagues and friends! The deadline for abstract submission is approaching! #MNID26 will be at Wisconsin-Madison, please check the website for details! www.mnidmeeting.org

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Reposted by Felipe H Santiago-Tirado

Lauren Palmer @laurenpalmer.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

🚨Faculty job search: University of Illinois Chicago Micro & Immuno department is hiring! Open rank and open area within host-pathogen interactions. Apply by May 31 to join us in UI College of Medicine in the heart of Chicago! uic.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...

Image of UIC sculpture, recreation center, and Medical Sciences Building

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Reposted by Felipe H Santiago-Tirado

Teresa O'Meara @teresaomeara.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

We are hiring @umichmicroimmuno.bsky.social ! Tenure-track assistant professor position in our Microbiology and Immunology department. We are especially looking for someone working in bacterial pathogenesis

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

Its official! I have been promoted to Associate professor with tenure! Like many things in life, it required a "village" to achieve this. Many thanks to past & current members of the lab, and all that stood by me all this way, especially my partner in crime @afloresmireles.bsky.social Cheers!!!

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

This is truly, a remarkable story! Thanks for sharing!

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Reposted by Felipe H Santiago-Tirado

Dept of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology at Johns Hopkins @johnshopkinsmmi.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

The @johnshopkinssph.bsky.social & @jhu.edu Gilbert Otto Professor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship Research Professor Radamés J.B. Cordero's work studying how fungi respond in space is profiled in @elnuevodia.bsky.social www.elnuevodia.com/english/news...

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Dear Midwest friends, the Midwest Neglected Infectious Diseases Meeting #MNID26 is back and gone live! Please save the date: August 7-8. I will be sharing more info soon but for now, please check the meeting website here: www.mnidmeeting.org

An informational ad for the meeting, with data and place details and pictures of the keynote speakers.

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Reposted by Felipe H Santiago-Tirado

Liz Ballou @balloulab.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

I've been very quite on here, but am so excited to share a new project we just had funded together with @clairehoving.bsky.social @ewjwallace.bsky.social @darrenthomson.bsky.social @rdangarembizi.bsky.social Lucian Duvenage, Iana Kalinina, and @swainqbiolab.bsky.social the result of 3 years of work

media.tenor.com

ALT:

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

A wonderful collaboration. Very excited about the other stories in the pipeline and the future of this project!

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

Here we show that C20 cells behave similarly to primary human microglia from cadavers. And we use the cells to understand new biology related to the cryptococcal-microglia interactions. This is the basis for Robbi's F31 award from NIH. You can read more below. (3/3) fungilab.nd.edu/news/robbi-w...

fungilab.nd.edu

Robbi was awarded a Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (NRSA) from the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Robbi competes sucessfully for the prestigious F31 fellowship from NIH Figure 1. The potential interactions between microglia…

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

Cryptococcus neoformans is an ubiquitous environmental fungus that we are exposed frequently through inhalation, but the fatal pathology is due to a brain infection. Thus studying the interactions with microglia, the brain's immune cells, is an important but incompletely understood area. (2/3)

A figure depicting the potential interactions between microglia and C. neoformans. The top (labeled with the letter A) shows killing of the fungus; the middle panel (B) shows intracellular replication and exocytosis of the fungus; and the bottom panel (C) shows recognition and phagocytosis.

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

PUBLICATION ALERT: In this latest study from the lab we characterized a human immortalized microglia cell line in terms of cryptococcal-host interactions. We believe this is a powerful new way to study these important interactions and ask mechanistic questions.🧵(1/3) journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

journals.asm.org

Use of a human immortalized microglia cell line to study recognition, phagocytosis, and intracellular survival of Cryptococcus neoformans | mSphere

While Cryptococcus neoformans is acquired through inhalation, the fatal pathology of cryptococcal infection occurs when the yeast disseminates to the central nervous system (CNS) and causes cryptococc...

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Don't miss this fun and informative interview with the great @afloresmireles.bsky.social with the patient advocacy organization Live UTI Free! They talk all the way from marine biology, to good microbes, bad microbes, and UTIs and CAUTIs - a little bit for everyone! Only 30 really enjoyable mins!

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

This was the work of many undergraduates in the lab, supervised and led over the years by student-turned-postdoc Pete Stuckey. To learn more about it, see the news article below. Thank you and congratulations to all the authors! fungilab.nd.edu/news/elucida...

fungilab.nd.edu

Elucidating the Fungal Vacuole's Secrets

Work by many undergraduates in the lab, supervised by Pete, is finally out! A model depicting the role of Vac8 in C. neoformans biology. Vac8…

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

The protein is conserved in the fungal kingdom, but almost everything we know about it comes from S. cerevisiae. Relative to baker’s yeast, it seems Vac8 has both similar and unique functions in C. neoformans. Thus, we are happy to have started working on this new fungal cell biology story!

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

We found that deleting VAC8 causes fragmented vacuoles, and defective vacuolar fusion or enlargement, affecting the biology of the fungus in big ways, including no Titan Cells! Some of the phenotypes were negative, while others, like increased resistance to fluconazole, were surprising!

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

PUBLICATION ALERT: The latest from the lab is out, on the function of a vacuolar protein in Cryptococcus. Meet Vac8, the vacuolar protein that keeps cryptococcal vacuole in one large piece! This is a small thread on it, but you can find the paper here: www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/11....

mdpi.com

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

Following our initial paper (doi.org/10.1126/scia...) in the new preprint we report the bladder-specific Efg1 regulon promoting C. albicans CAUTI. With the increased incidence of fungal CAUTI and the high mortality of fungal infections, this knowledge is vital for developing new targeted treatments.

doi.org

The catheterized bladder environment promotes Efg1- and Als1-dependent Candida albicans infection

A comprehensive investigation of C. albicans pathogenesis reveals critical virulence factors for the catheterized bladder.

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

Hospital-acquired infections are deadly, and catheter-associated urinary ones (CAUTIs) are the most common. CAUTIs are more challenging when the microbe is/involves a fungus. Fungal CAUTIs are neglected, thus we started this collaboration to shed light on this common but neglected disease. (2/3)

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

Fungi are everywhere doing everything! So amazing! These stinkbugs coat their eggs in fungi to protect them from parasitic wasps. Read more here: www.science.org/content/arti...

science.org

These stinkbugs coat their eggs in fungi to protect them from parasitic wasps

An unusual relationship could shed light on how insects choose their partners

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Reposted by Felipe H Santiago-Tirado

Department of Microbiology, The University of Chicago @uocmicrobiology.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

UChicago Microbiology is searching for tenured or tenure-track faculty working in host-pathogens interactions, viral and bacterial pathogenesis, and emerging infectious diseases. Come join our vibrant Department! microbiology.uchicago.edu Apply here apply.interfolio.com/174404

microbiology.uchicago.edu

Department of Microbiology | The University of Chicago

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Reposted by Felipe H Santiago-Tirado

University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

There’s now an app for all things fungi 🦠🍄 Dr. Matthew Pullen, Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota, helped launch Dr Fungus—a free app that brings the trusted resource to your phone. Explore fungal infections, antifungal treatments, and case-based learning—all in one place.

drfungus.org

Home - Doctor Fungus

Welcome to Doctor Fungus! An Educational Website of theMycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium (MSGERC) [View Legal Information] Where to Start Mycology Case of the Month An Introducti...

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Felipe H Santiago-Tirado @felipehst.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

Who said drama is only for Mexican tele-novellas (soap operas). This article has it all! "After bizarre journey, prized history of molecular biology archive finds new home" www.science.org/content/arti...

science.org

After bizarre journey, prized history of molecular biology archive finds new home

Science History Institute makes public multimillion-dollar collection, including Rosalind Franklin’s famous DNA image, assembled by fake scientist

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