#Fungal infections are hard to treat due to #DrugResistance. @blake_billmyre &co use a high-throughput #TNseq system in #Cryptococcus neoformans to identify >1400 essential genes & reveal a role for #mitochondrial genes in #fluconazole sensitivity @PLOSBiology https://plos.io/4dz3iVm

A major step in understanding Facial Eczema disease in livestock. 🐄🐏

In a scientific article just published we investigate the fungal cause of the Facial Eczema (FE) disease in livestock. We found that there are two species of the fungus (Pseudopithomyces) on farms in NZ with identical spores but different genetics, and only one of them produces the toxin that causes FE.

For technical reasons, this species needs a new name which we call Pseudopithomyces toxicarius, in Latin this means ‘the toxin producer’.

For Farmers this discovery means that the current method of accessing FE risk by spore counting could also be counting non-toxic spores leading to inaccurate assessments. The image shows the spores of three different Pseudopithomyces species, could you tell them apart under the microscope?!

We will be developing a DNA-based diagnostic for the toxic fungus.
We also clarify the taxonomy of the genus Pseudopithomyces using globally diverse isolates setting up for future discoveries in this group of fungi.

This publication is culmination of over 4 years of work in collaboration with Beef+Lamb NZ, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, and AgResearch.

Press release: https://beeflambnz.com/news/major-step-understanding-facial-eczema-livestock

This research was published in the journal “Studies in Mycology” available at: https://doi.org/10.3114/sim.2025.112.02

#mycology #farming #mycotoxin #nomenclature #pasture #pithomycotoxicosis #taxonomy #NZ #fungi #science

To what extent can we predict future pathogenic #microbes? @acasadevall1 discusses why probabilistic predictions are difficult, but not impossible. #PLOSBiology
https://plos.io/3EXieQp

If you would like to attend a microscopy or bioimage analysis training course in the next 6 months but don’t have funding, check out our Microscopy Training Grant from @J_Cell_Sci and @focalplane_jcs.

Next deadline: 6 June 2025

https://www.biologists.com/grants/jcs-focalplane-training-grants/

#Microscopy #BioimageAnalysis #Bioimage #Biology #Training #Grants

Coccidioides is a fungal #pathogen that forms a unique structure, the spherule. This transcriptomic study of #Coccidioides development reveals spherule-specific gene regulation, Ryp1-dependent virulence factors, and potential #antifungal therapeutic targets @PLOSBiology https://plos.io/4cINMpl

“I’ve worked for the Washington Post since 2008 as an editorial cartoonist. … I’ve never had a cartoon killed because of who or what I chose to aim my pen at. Until now.” https://anntelnaes.substack.com/p/why-im-quitting-the-washington-post?utm_campaign=post&triedRedirect=true

Walling's "Start Small, Stay Small" is a middling-good book of advice for tech entrepreneurs who want to create a healthy small business rather than chase hockey-stick growth. Is there a similar guide for scientists on setting up and running a research team doing computationally-intensive science? I know of Cohen & Cohen's "Lab Dynamics" and Barker's "At the Helm" for wet labs - what else is in this area? Thanks in advance. (Please note: looking specifically for books, not blogs or videos or…)

Any #pottery folk have some advice on fixing the plate of my old pottery wheel? The top is heavily pitted which makes it a rough on my hands sometimes.

A few years back I cleaned it thoroughly, filled the pits with epoxy, and then sanded it smooth. This worked alright but over time chunks of epoxy have come out.

Do these have standard mounting threads? These look to be 3/4" 12 TPI. Could I just get a replacement plate?

Single person instance, so boosts for visibility = ❤️

Does anyone have strong opinions on what the best/most sensitive low volume spectrophotometer is? Looking to quantify low concentrations of fluorescently labelled protein, not just DNA etc

#biochem #biophys #singlemolecule

The University of Exeter convened a panel to advise the university on how to use carbon offsets in its ambitious net zero target. Our conclusion is that all offsets should be ditched. We very much hope other universities will do likewise.

https://theconversation.com/we-have-officially-advised-our-university-to-ditch-carbon-offsets-and-focus-on-cutting-emissions-243727

Early-career researchers from the #GlobalSouth can apply for a funded place at our Workshop 'Democratising Microscopy in Latin America: Imaging Across Scales and Regions' organised by Constadina Arvanitis, Mario Del Rosario, Helena De la Torre, Mariana De Niz, Maria Fernanda Latorre Barragán and Licyel Lenny Paulas Condori. Find out more and apply at https://www.biologists.com/workshops/global_south_2025/
#BiologistsWorkshops @HenriquesLab @lecumberry @J_Cell_Sci @focalplane_jcs

@naturepoker eh, people are people. Dont let it get you down or stop you from doing what you want to do. The worst they can say is no, and you have a backup plan.

@naturepoker @Guillawme Reviews can be either solicited by editors or submitted through the standard route (PLOS does this for example). Its true some journals only allow solicited reviews, but thats not the case here. You can contact the editor to discuss fit.

@Guillawme @naturepoker Why not a society journal like the Microbiology Society? You can join as an affiliate member without academic affiliation, they have rapid publication timelines, its much more reputable peer review than that other company, and the readership is the people you are trying to engage with. Personally, I never read or review for MDPI because so much poor work gets through and they are predatory. You have other choices https://microbiologysociety.org/membership/join-the-society.html

American abroad who hasn’t received your ballot yet? Use the federal backup ballot now!

https://www.votefromabroad.org/faqs/BB1

#VoteFromAbroad #KamalaHarris #Democrats #voteblue

@dozenoaks completely understandable

Overall, we hope this work demonstrates that a Mucorales-specific biomarker can be used to identify invasive #mucormycosis. Long term, we hope that this work will support efforts to improve patient outcomes for this devestating invasive #fungal disease. 12/

Second, @AlyssaHudson83 showed that the TG11 antibody binds similarly to a wide range of important clinical isolates of #mucormycosis including #Rhizopus, #Lichtheimia, #Cunninghamella, and #Mucor species 10/ https://bit.ly/4eG3lyz

Together with the talented biophysicist Iana Kalinina, @AlyssaHudson83 also captured binding of the TG11 antibody to growing #Rhizopus arrhizus spores live in a #microfluidics chamber. #mucormycosis 9/ https://bit.ly/4eG3lyz

Diagnosis of #mucormycosis is frequently based on radiography, CT, biopsy and histology, as in this 2023 clinical report from Choudhary et al., (https://rdcu.be/dWYmW) showing Periodic Acid Schiff staining of aseptate hyphae that can be challenging to accurately identify. 5/