I'm so happy to see the main part of my PhD work published in Cell Host & Microbe! We discover and characterise MADS (Methylation Associated Defense System) in its native host, a clinical isolate of 𝘗𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘦𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘢 strain SMC4386 www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...

The bacterial defense system MADS interacts with CRISPR-Cas to limit phage infection and escape

The coevolution between bacteria and mobile genetic elements has resulted in a large diversity of defense systems. Maestri et al. describe an innate immune system, MADS (methylation-associated defense...

TARGet will utilise recent genomic advances to better understand AMR and leverage this information for surveillance, diagnostic, and infection prevention control practices. It has led jointly by @ksbakes.bsky.social (U Cambridge) and myself (U Birmingham). /2

Only two weeks left to register for #GenomeScience24! Join us in Bristol July 16 - 18 🧬

SMBE pangenomes meeting details Dates: 26-28th November 2024. Location: National Museum of Nature and Science, Ueno Park, Tokyo, Japan. Abstract submission: 1st June-31st August. Registration: 1st July-31st October. See the updated website: smbepangenomes.bacpop.org

Guess who's back? Genome Science 2024 is coming to Bristol July 16 - 18! Sign up here: bristol.genomescience.org.uk

Thanks to everyone involved including both old and new collaborators @micro_deb @BenjaminHowden @DrDanielleIngle @MarieChattaway @rodwell_ella @neilhall_uk and, as always, amazing teamwork with @MalakaDeS @ChalotteChong_ and @RJBengtsson 8/8 (with apologies to those who switched handles from X)

So, welcome to your new genomic era understanding of an old disease threat: S. Panama! It was an honour co-supervising @1caiseypulford’s PhD work with @jay_salsa and working with the tireless @weill_xavier who absolutely made this work happen 7/8

The ‘invasiveness index’ (thanks @nwheeler443) of S. Panama was elevated relative to other broad host-range Salmonella serovars and highest in the European- AMR- associated Clade 2, suggesting this might pose the greatest public health threat 6/8

Predicted AMR was carried by gene cassettes against some old favourites (streptomycin, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, trimpethoprim, sulfisoxazole, and tetracycline) and one XDR isolate with further fluoroquinolone, polymyxin, and 3rd generation cephalosporin resistance 5/8

There were low rates (14.5% of isolates) of AMR predicted in S. Panama and AMR was typically found in the clades associated with Europe and Asia 4/8