Spotlight
Reducing carbon loss during bioconversion of CO2-derived methanol
Formate accumulation limits bioproduction from CO₂-derived methanol. Keller and Hegedis et al. discovered that NAD-dependent methanol dehydrogenases overoxidize methanol to formate—and found non-overoxidizing variants that have the potential to boost process yields.
Pathogenic beginnings: a fungus-bacterium merger shifts toward coexistence
By introducing free-living bacteria into fungal cells, Gassler et al. reveal early endosymbiogenesis steps. Despite initial host stress, vertical transmission occurs and fitness improves over time as defense responses attenuate, revealing a transition from antagonism towards commensalism.
Hope for Corals: Mapping Biodiversity and Resilience to Safeguard Coral Reefs
Researchers from the Sunagawa Lab (IMB) join the Tara Coral expedition to explore the Coral Triangle’s remarkable resilience and unparalleled coral biodiversity—and to turn this knowledge into stronger strategies for safeguarding coral ecosystems.
Salmonella SPI-2 effector cohorts contribute to gut inflammation and systemic colonization
A recent “Nature Communications” paper by the Hardt group (IMB) describes how cohorts of bacterial T3SS effectors contribute to virulence in vivo. Effectors supporting intracellular replication and blocking host cell defences are critical for driving gut inflammation and survival in systemic niches.
New Paper in Chemical Science by the Kuenzler Lab
Macrocyclization of backbone N-methylated peptides by a prolyl oligopeptidase with a distinctive substrate recognition mechanism