Sign in

Heather Feaga

@heatherfeaga.bsky.social
579 followers 451 following 153 posts

Assistant Professor at Cornell studying translation in bacteria. Nothing bad ever happens to a scientist, it's all data.

PostsRepliesMedia
Heather Feaga @heatherfeaga.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Latest from the lab! Kevin England @kevinengland.bsky.social leads a study on how production of various alarmones (p,pp,pppGpp!) depletes GTP, remodels the transcriptome, and inhibits translation. Wonderful collaboration with Jade Wang's lab at UW Madison. academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
academic.oup.com
The alarmone pGpp inhibits translation through GTP depletion
Abstract. Bacteria produce the alarmone nucleotides ppGpp and pppGpp during stress to affect replication, transcription, and metabolism. ppGpp and pppGpp a
0238 0
Heather Feaga @heatherfeaga.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
🧙‍♀️ 🪄 magnesium makes very happy ribosomes. Looking forward to learning more!!
030 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Alexey Amunts @amunts.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
A sad day. Ada's pioneering work on the ribosome changed how we understand one of the central machines of life. She is a remarkable example of curiosity and boldness in pursuing questions that seemed impossible. Her scientific courage and persistence has been an inspiration.
wis-wander.weizmann.ac.il
Prof. Ada Yonath, Nobel Laureate and a Model of Scientific Perseverance, Has Passed Away - Weizmann Wonder Wander - News, Features and Discoveries
From pursuing an impossible dream to uncovering one of the cell’s best-kept secrets and advancing the design of improved antibiotics
04518 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
brookscrickard1.bsky.social @brookscrickard1.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
We posted a new preprint that revises an earlier preprint. Here, we tested the hypothesis from our original preprint and propose that the two eukaryotic recombinases, Rad51 and Dmc1, specialized in distinct directions after duplication in early eukaryotes www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
biorxiv.org
051 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Nadia Nikulin, PhD @nadianikulin.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
A month ago, I defended my PhD! I am now seeking a postdoc position in host-microbe interactions (preferably Gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens but am open to others). Thankful to @doerrlab.bsky.social and others for the support 🫶🧬🧫🐭
Woman standing next to a white board decorated with things she enjoys (such as Trader Joe’s and cats) that says “Congratulations Dr. Shevchuk Nikulin” Woman standing with a presentation projected behind her titled “Hail CESRs: a stab into the role of cell envelope stress response systems in virulence and meropenem-tolerance of Enterobacterales species”
381 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Grainger Lab @graingerlab.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
A new pre-print out - we show that promoters and terminators of transcription are frequently coupled, throughout the bacteria, and this is regulatory. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
Widespread coupling of promoters and terminators of transcription in bacteria
Transcription underpins the expression of genetic information and is viewed as a series of independent initiation and termination events. In bacteria, promoters and terminators of transcription are th...
02113 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Augustus (Gus) Pendleton @augustuspendle1.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
There's a lot in this paper i don't touch on here (cyanotoxins! co-occurrence networks! three-domain primers that only amplified two domains!), so go read it now! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
Cyanobacterial cohorts structure the diversity, abundance, and metabolism of heterotrophic bacteria in Lake Erie
Eutrophication and warming in Lake Erie create two microbial threats: cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs) that can produce toxins, and seasonal hypoxia driven by microbial respiration. These p...
022 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
George O'Toole (he/him/his) @geiselbiofilm.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Pls share: Three open posions in Bacteriology at Wisconsin: bact.wisc.edu/bacteriology...
bact.wisc.edu
Bacteriology is Hiring!
Bioeconomy Assistant Professor The Department of Bacteriology is seeking applicants at the Assistant Professor level to launch a research program in the New Bioeconomy. Applicants may be interested in...
11418 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Heran Darwin, PhD @heran.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
BlueSky doesn't seem to spread the word around as effectively as that other app so I'm reposting this incredible opportunity again (and again!). Please repost and spread the word to strong candidates. Thank you!
0516 0
Heather Feaga @heatherfeaga.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Phage Meeting 2026! The first Feaga Lab reunion with past members; photo with all former and current Cornellians; Daniel gave an outstanding talk and Morgan earned a poster award! Best Phage Meeting ever?! I think so!
1182 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Kaçar Lab at UW-Madison @kacarlab.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
🚨 Job alert! 🚨 Join the faculty at UW–Madison Bacteriology! We have two faculty searches: • Asst Prof (Microbial Communities & Bioeconomy) • Asst / Assoc / Full Prof (Systems & Synthetic Biology) Check out the open positions and apply👇 #FacultyJobs #SynBio #Microbiology #Astrobiology #Evolution
35372 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Fun @funkelly.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
did someone say sadder
 hand holds a paperback book entitled “microwave cooking for one.” On the cover is an older white woman with short hair standing behind a table FULL of food she allegedly made in a microwave. The milkshake is my favorite. This is not AI, this is a physical book a friend sent me cuz we saw it online were curious about the milkshake on the cover. Probably pudding but still.
451015155 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Julia Willett @jlewillett.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
I'm excited to be co-organizing the 2026 Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference, which will take place Sept 25-27 on the UMN campus in Minneapolis! Poster abstracts due Aug 7! Submit yours & register here ➡️ mmpc2026.umn.edu
mmpc2026.umn.edu
Registration | Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference 2026
02017 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Teresa O'Meara @teresaomeara.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Bacteriology-Focused Assistant Professor Position in Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan Application deadline: August 15, 2026 Come be my colleague!
Bacteriology-Focused Assistant Professor Position in Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan

Application deadline: August 15, 2026

Applicants are requested to send
1) A cover letter (up to 1 page)
2) A CV
3) A description of research interests and goals (up to 2 pages)
4) A description of teaching experience and philosophy (up to 1 page)
5) Contact information including email to solicit 3 letters of recommendation.
Application materials should be combined into one PDF and addressed to the department chair, Dr. Bethany Moore, and sent via email to Sheryl Smith - sherylhs@umich.edu
23771 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Ken Jennings @kenjennings.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
I don’t think AI is the future and I’m 100% basing this on how nobody likes those kitchen trash cans with the powered lids.
743190232 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Lars Dietrich @laahrs.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Phenazine Pride #PrideMonth #bacterial_pigments Agar art by Marina Smiley
0359 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Ruben Gonzalez @rubenlgonzalez.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Preprint alert! Using smFRET, we define the only essential ATP hydrolysis step in translation initiation. We show that eIF3 and eIF4B stimulate ATP-hydrolysis-dependent recycling of cap-stalled eIF4F, coupling eIF4F recycling to PIC loading onto an mRNA.🔬 doi.org/10.64898/202...
1256 0
Heather Feaga @heatherfeaga.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
You would like to exist today? That will be $200.
000 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Fabrice Jean-Pierre @fabricejpierre.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
The M&I department/community at Dartmouth is fantastic. Apply!
074 0
Heather Feaga @heatherfeaga.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Introducing an artisanal process for enhancing milk. Recently rediscovered for the health-conscious consumer, this process dates back to the 1800s. Totally organic and chemical free, we simply heat the milk gently for about 15 minutes.
030 0
Heather Feaga @heatherfeaga.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Additional fact: women were admitted to the last Ivy Leauge holdout in 1983, twenty years after being admitted to Space.
032 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Ryo Yokoyama @yokoyama-ryo.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Structure determination and dual targeting of a plant TACO1 identifies its ancient role as an organelle translation regulator www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
Structure determination and dual targeting of a plant TACO1 identifies its ancient role as an organelle translation regulator
Ribosome stalling caused by polyproline (PPs) motifs is common. Their translation is enhanced by accessory proteins such as YebC in bacteria, whose homolog, TRANSLATIONAL ACTIVATOR OF CYTOCHROME C OXI...
012 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Alex Merz 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇺🇦 @merz.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Reminder — UW #Microbiology has an open search for an Assistant Professor, focusing on fundamental problems in #bacteriology! If you or someone you know would be suitable, here's the ad: apply.interfolio.com/185622
Screenshot of the job listing linked in full above
27487 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
John Helmann @johnhelmann.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
New insights into copper physiology in Bacillus subtilis. The outlines of the pathway for copper import and trafficking to support aerobic growth are emerging. Work led by Grayson Barnes, with support from our collaborators. doi.org/10.1128/mbio... #microsky #metalsinbiology
doi.org
Pathways of copper import and utilization that support respiration in Bacillus subtilis | mBio
Copper is a critical micronutrient for bacteria; however, it is toxic in excess. This leads to the cell having tightly regulated import and export systems to prevent intoxication while having sufficient copper for cellular needs. Copper export has been well studied, but copper import and the effects of copper starvation are less defined. In this article, we characterize the Bacillus subtilis high-affinity copper importer YcnJ. We show that under copper limitation, the cell is deficient in copper-containing oxidases, which leads to respiratory defects. Copper imported by YcnJ is proposed to function in a pathway with other proteins implicated in the assembly of respiratory oxidases. More generally, this work contributes to the underexplored area of copper import and trafficking in bacteria.
03712 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Clay Fuqua @fuquaclay.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
See our new latest pre-print for a study led by grad student Ian Reynolds, with current and former undergrads Isabel Westin and Caleb Wood in the lab. A study that goes to show how so many cell surface processes are connected to each other in bacteria. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
0117 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
brookscrickard1.bsky.social @brookscrickard1.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Here is a link to my student Mitch's final published paper on the activity of Rad51 and Rad54 during the homology search. genesdev.cshlp.org/content/40/1...
genesdev.cshlp.org
The eukaryotic homology search complex distorts donor DNA structure to probe for homology
A biweekly scientific journal publishing high-quality research in molecular biology and genetics, cancer biology, biochemistry, and related fields
0125 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Kumaran Ramamurthi @ramamurthilab.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Bacterial transmembrane proteins usually localize inside the cell by "finding" a pre-localized protein, but how did the 1st protein get there? @vanipande.bsky.social found a protein in #B.subtilis that localizes by recognizing a *lipid* localization cue. #Microsky www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
02812 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Wiep Klaas Smits (ExpBac/CMAT) @smitslab.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Diverse mechanisms of translation arrest by a Clostridia ribosome stalling peptide CliM - pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42151144/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Diverse mechanisms of translation arrest by a Clostridia ribosome stalling peptide CliM - PubMed
Ribosome arrest peptides undergo programmed translational stalling in response to changes in the cellular environment to feedback-regulate gene expression. CliM, an arrest peptide in Clostridia, is en...
075 0
Heather Feaga @heatherfeaga.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
These two new PhDs 💕 Congrats Dr. Callan and soon to be Dr. Prince!
0120 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Higor Rosa @hvdrosa.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Thrilled to share the updated video of my paper in Nature with Maciej (under supervision of @simonemattei.bsky.social & @jomaalab.bsky.social) Proud to use Cryo-ET to uncover how hibernation factors are key to translation restart! To model PTMs in situ and render animations fulfilled my PhD dream!🥹🎉
49621 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
bioRxiv Microbiology @biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
The phenotypic landscape of the model firmicute Bacillus subtilis www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20…
012 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Ákos T Kovács @evolvedbiofilm.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
We have a PhD position in Leiden within our #ERCSyG @microclockerc.bsky.social project to dissect circadian clocks in bacterial biofilms We are looking for candidates with optogenetics, single cell microscopy and image analysis background Application deadline 12 June 2026 👉 edu.nl/cqra3
11515 0
Heather Feaga @heatherfeaga.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Awesome work! Still so much to learn about ribosome hibernation!
082 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Maureen Barr @barrlab.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
POSTDOC OPPORTUNITY!!! The Rutgers IRACDA program is phenomenal: 70% of postdoctoral fellows land faculty positions. Martha Soto (LinkedIn below) is the amazing director and leader of this program. Please apply or reach out if you have questions. www.linkedin.com/posts/martha...
linkedin.com
INSPIRE is recruiting! Please share broadly with senior graduate students and beginning postdocs. INSPIRE, the NIH-funded Rutgers-IRACDA, offers postdoctoral training for individuals interested in… | ...
INSPIRE is recruiting! Please share broadly with senior graduate students and beginning postdocs. INSPIRE, the NIH-funded Rutgers-IRACDA, offers postdoctoral training for individuals interested in com...
11533 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
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
14568 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Sarah Lucas @saerobe.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
The Biology Department at Syracuse University is hiring! Please share with anyone you think might be interested. www.sujobopps.com/postings/112...
sujobopps.com
Assistant Teaching Professor - Biology and Biochemistry
The Department of Biology at Syracuse University invites applications for a non-tenure-track Assistant Teaching Professor to teach Biology and Biochemistry undergraduate level classes, starting in fal...
049 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
bioRxiv Molecular Biology @biorxiv-molbio.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Unexpected ribosome turnover during prolonged translation inhibition www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20…
042 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
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
585101 0
Heather Feaga @heatherfeaga.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Congrats Anna!
010 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Nilesh Banavali @nilesh-banavali.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Our paper is out today as an ASAP web publication in Biochemistry! Congrats to Swati Manjari and @calebmallery.bsky.social! pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
pubs.acs.org
How Medically Important Antimicrobials Bind to the 30S Ribosomal Subunit in a Bacterial Pathogen
Ribosomes translate the genetic code in mRNA to synthesize proteins in all living organisms. Decoding of mRNA occurs in the small subunit of the ribosome and is mediated by tRNA anticodons. Regions ne...
155 0
Heather Feaga @heatherfeaga.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Chronological
media.tenor.com
a man wearing headphones says " what came first the music or the misery "
ALT: a man wearing headphones says " what came first the music or the misery "
010 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
brookscrickard1.bsky.social @brookscrickard1.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Here is the work of Jingyi Hu and David Moraga graduate students in my lab, published online in Plos Genetics journals.plos.org/plosgenetics...
journals.plos.org
Potential Rad54 separation of function mutation highlights unique roles during homologous recombination
Author summary Homologous recombination (HR) is a DNA double-strand break repair pathway that functions at DNA breaks and stalled or collapsed replication forks. Rad51 is a critical enzyme that mediat...
093 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Adrià Sogues @adriasogues.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
This one deserves it🤩! We used cryo‑EM to identify a new “sporesilk” in Bacillus thuringiensis. The fiber, called A‑ENA, forms an incredibly stable covalent network that increases virulence by keeping the toxic payload and spores in a biofilm-like structure. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Auto-crosslinking sporesilk fibers promote endospore and Cry toxin clustering - Nature Communications
Authors reveal that protein nanofibrils govern assembly of bacterial spores and extrasporal toxins into insecticidal aggregates. Spores and parasporal bodies are incased in a “sporesilk” matrix that d...
12510 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Paul Hoskisson 🧫 🦠🐸 @paulhoskisson.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Come and study for a PhD with us on antibiotic-producing Streptomyces, trying to understand the roles of primary metabolic enzymes with additional cellular roles - Details below - please repost www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
findaphd.com
Primary metabolic enzymes in antibiotic-producing Streptomyces bacteria, but not as we know them! at University of Strathclyde on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Primary metabolic enzymes in antibiotic-producing Streptomyces bacteria, but not as we know them! at University of Strathclyde, listed on FindAPhD.com
02234 0
Reposted by Heather Feaga
Kumaran Ramamurthi @ramamurthilab.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Bacterial rRNAs are highly modified, but their functions are often mysterious. Zac Park says that methylation of 16S rRNA by MraW(RsmH) enhances translation of structured mRNAs. Thus, mRNA structure and rRNA modifications likely co-evolved to fine-tune protein dosage. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
23920 0
Heather Feaga @heatherfeaga.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
The most boopable snoot
010 0
Heather Feaga @heatherfeaga.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Thanks María!!!
010 0
Heather Feaga @heatherfeaga.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Snoot
1144 0
Heather Feaga @heatherfeaga.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
Thank you!! 🥰
010 0
Heather Feaga @heatherfeaga.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
Thanks!!
010 0