RT @whelanfj: 🚨 We're hiring! 🚨 We're looking for a Research Assistant to join our lab @ U of Manchester. We're seeking someone with experi….

RT @Ellijos: Excited to share my 1st paper along with @drbridgetwatson @TaylorLabGroup @edzewestra Sylvain Gandon and David McLeod https://….

#Evol2024 come along tomorrow morning at 10:30 in 520C if you want to hear about mutation rate/spectrum plasticity and an E. coli strain with a super low mutation rate 🧬🦠💻

@lcb_officiel @MERManchester Also, I'm going to be at #Evol2024 this week if anyone wants to chat all things mutation! I have a talk on Tuesday Morning 10:30am 9/8??

@lcb_officiel @MERManchester This paper is the first chapter from my PhD and I'm really excited to start polishing some other projects up ready for publication now! All revolve around the plasticity of mutation rates and spectra, unravelling the fundamental supply of variation in populations. 8/8.

@lcb_officiel This paper has a long author list and I'm grateful to all of my enthusiastic masters and undergraduate mentees who took on parts of this massive group effort! Working on this as part of the collaborative @MERManchester group has been the best possible scientific environment 7/8.

We were lucky enough to receive an independent Hpx strain from @lcb_officiel to verify our findings in a Hpx strain without this off target iron uptake mutation. Doing this was one of many really helpful suggestions from our reviewers and editor to whom we're really grateful. 6/8.

Then, when working with a strain unable to degrade h2o2 (Hpx-), we found a secondary mutation disabling iron importer FecD. We believe this was an adaptation allowing the cells to reduce the internal iron pool and therefore reduce the oxidative stress that they are under. 5/8.

One interesting side project revolved around the role of iron. We found that in cells with elevated internal free iron, mutation rates are not controlled by the social environment but 'maxed out' by oxidative stress driven by Fenton chemistry. 4/8.

Using computational models to develop hypotheses and then testing these with Ecoli in the lab we show that higher density populations are able to better degrade environmental h2o2 in standard lab media, leading to lower mutation rates. 3/8.

We have also produced this lay summary of the work which was a really fun process. While writing it we worked out that we grew enough e coli in this study to stretch to the moon and back and then to the pyramids in Cairo! 2/8

Super excited that the final version of our paper on mutation rate plasticity and oxidative stress is out now at PLoS biology! This paper shows how mutation rates are a highly dynamic trait shaped by genotype, community composition and abiotic factors. 1/8

RT @flanagella: Very excited to be presenting the last of my PhD work at #SMBE2024! If you're interested in the impacts of nutrient environ….

Come join the most friendly and exciting microbe eco-evo group @MERManchester.

#SMBE2024 poster ready to go! Come and chat about mutation rate plasticity, h2o2, simulations, fluctuation assays and e.coli // e.faecalis cocultures. (Also @MERManchester visits teotihuacan with @flanagella , feeling very lucky to be in Mexico).

RT @willpjsmith: A thoroughly soggy MER-hike with this lovely lot yesterday - huge thanks to @RowanCallumGre1 for organising! @MERMancheste….

RT @MERManchester: We had a great time at the Community Festival this weekend! It was amazing to chat with so many people about all things….

RT @EvolvedBiofilm: Estimating mutation rates under heterogeneous stress responses. @PLOSCompBiol by @LanjuLucy from @HelenKAlexander . htt….

RT @willpjsmith: Exciting times - after a huge team effort from @MERManchester we have some beautiful sparkly new lab spaces! 🎉🥳🪩Now for th….