Bacterial small-molecule messengers that function in diverse immune signaling pathways have been thought to derive strictly from biosynthesis using nucleotide and cofactor substrates. Here we report a...

Many bacterial anti-phage defence systems are encoded by mobile genetic elements, yet much of this antiviral repertoire remains undiscovered. Antimicrobial-resistance plasmids are well known for disse...

The life cycle of temperate bacteriophages involves lytic or lysogenic cycles and has historically served as a model for studying genetic regulation. This Review provides an updated overview of these ...

Iron is an essential element that can be growth-limiting in microbial communities, particularly those present within host organisms. To acquire iro...

PhD Project - Primary metabolic enzymes in antibiotic-producing Streptomyces bacteria, but not as we know them! at University of Strathclyde, listed on FindAPhD.com

Gallego-del-Sol et al. show that arbitrium-coding phages can sense non-cognate peptide signals from other phages to regulate lysis-lysogeny decisions. This crosstalk affects lysis-lysogeny outcomes of...

Project Title: Clp Proteases Control Infection and Lifecycle Decisions in Staphylococcus aureus Phages Supervisor(s): Primary Supervisor: Dr Andreas Haag (University of St Andrews, School of Medicine)...

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Tak et al. discover that bacteria use 2′,3′-cGAMP, the same signaling molecule employed by mammalian cGAS-STING, for phage defense. In response to phage, 2′,3′-cGAMP activates filament formation of Ca...

Nature Microbiology, Published online: 09 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41564-026-02277-8This study highlights that Schlafens are ancient, mechanistically conserved immune effectors that mediate antiviral immunity in organisms ranging from humans to bacteria.

Umbrella toxin particles produced by Actinobacteria contain five spokes tipped with variable lectin domains. Here, Zhao et al. show that these lectins mediate species-specific binding to a previously unrecognized cell surface carbohydrate polymer and propose that the modular nature of umbrella particles enables bet hedging against unpredictable competitor encounters.

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PhD Project - Protease-Controlled Prophage Activation in Staphylococcus aureus: New Mechanisms Driving Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence at University of St Andrews, listed on FindAPhD.com

The Clostridia are a phylogenetically diverse group of anaerobic, spore-forming bacteria that include species of medical, veterinary and industrial importance. The last two decades have seen major adv...

The Bikard lab at Institut Pasteur in Paris is seeking to hire postdoctoral researchers. We are investigating bacteria / bacteriophages interactions, and the genetic innovation that happens at this in...

Here, the authors show that packaging of bacterial DNA by phage-like particles is widespread in the gut microbiome, with activity of gene transfer agents being prominent in Oscillospiraceae and Rumino...

PhD Project - Exploiting the bacterial DNA damage response as an alternative antimicrobial at Newcastle University, listed on FindAPhD.com

PhD Project - Microbial metal-head: the integrated roles of metal homeostasis in host-pathogen interaction at Newcastle University, listed on FindAPhD.com

Bacteriophages and PICIs spread bacterial defenses via lateral transduction, shaping microbial immunity and pathogen evolution.

Cryo-EM structure reveals how a ubiquitin-like protein orchestrates assembly of a bacterial weapon system.

PhD Project - MRC DiMeN Doctoral Training Partnership: Doubling down: determining the dual function of VanT in C. difficile antibiotic resistance. at University of Sheffield, listed on FindAPhD.com

P. aeruginosa type IV pili (T4P) are complex surface-exposed nanomachines used for twitching motility and biofilm formation. Exposure to bacteriophages that use T4P as their primary receptor can selec...

PhD Project - EASTBIO: When Phages Collide: Understanding How Multiple Prophages Shape Bacterial Behaviour at University of St Andrews, listed on FindAPhD.com

Communications Biology - Bacteroidota use the Type IX secretion system to secrete proteins with a conserved C-terminal domain (CTD) secretion signal domain. Type B CTDs require specific shuttle...

Alarmone synthetases are intracellular enzymes that promote bacterial survival by responding to environmental stress. Although extracellular alarmone production has been reported in Streptomyces, the ...

Background Several countries have reported an increase in vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF), a pathogen classified by the WHO as a high-priority threat due to its role in healthcare-ass...

Author summary Type IV pili enable Pseudomonas aeruginosa to attach to surfaces, move (twitch), and form biofilms. Pilus extension is powered by the motor protein PilB, which is regulated by other fac...

To survive in highly competitive environments, bacteria use specialized secretion systems to deliver antibacterial toxins into neighboring cells, t...