Félix Ramos-León
@felixrl.bsky.social
Postdoctoral fellow at NIH studying cell biology of coccoid bacteria.
Views my own.
He/him/Él 🏳️🌈
Views my own.
He/him/Él 🏳️🌈
Pinned
Félix Ramos-León
@felixrl.bsky.social
· Aug 18
Orthogonal cell division mediated by PcdA organizes surface virulence factors to drive staphylococcal abscess community formation
Staphylococcus aureus divides along sequential orthogonal planes, but the function
of this geometry has remained unclear. Ramos-León et al. show that orthogonal division
promotes uniform deployment of...
www.cell.com
Excited to share my latest work in the @ramamurthilab.bsky.social, now in @cp-cellreports.bsky.social!
We show that division geometry organizes surface adhesins in S. aureus and enables the formation of abscess communities that protect bacteria from immune cells.
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
We show that division geometry organizes surface adhesins in S. aureus and enables the formation of abscess communities that protect bacteria from immune cells.
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
Applications are now being accepted for the 2027 Bacterial Cell Biology & Development GRC, June 6–11!
GRS will be on June 5-6, 2027
We’ll likely be oversubscribed, so please apply early!
GRS will be on June 5-6, 2027
We’ll likely be oversubscribed, so please apply early!
September 19, 2026 at 10:51 AM
Applications are now being accepted for the 2027 Bacterial Cell Biology & Development GRC, June 6–11!
GRS will be on June 5-6, 2027
We’ll likely be oversubscribed, so please apply early!
GRS will be on June 5-6, 2027
We’ll likely be oversubscribed, so please apply early!
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
A two-step model of FtsZ-ring disassembly in Bacillus subtilis https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.14.751412v1
September 18, 2026 at 4:16 AM
A two-step model of FtsZ-ring disassembly in Bacillus subtilis https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.14.751412v1
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
Folks have known for years that adding magnesium to media rescues the lethality of deleting many 'essential' genes, but why? @eswaralab.bsky.social and @subtisilly.bsky.social say that free iron builds up in these mutants. Mg2+ mitigates this by redirecting metabolism towards limiting ROS production
I am so excited to share my first first-author manuscript regarding the mysterious effects of magnesium in Bacillus subtilis! 🧵⬇️
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
#MicroSky
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
#MicroSky
Magnesium induces iron starvation and metabolic rewiring to support the viability of cell envelope mutants and antibiotic-stressed cells
Magnesium supplementation permits deletion of otherwise essential genes involved in cell envelope biogenesis in the Gram-positive model bacterium Bacillus subtilis. Yet, the specific underlying mechan...
www.biorxiv.org
September 18, 2026 at 12:03 PM
Folks have known for years that adding magnesium to media rescues the lethality of deleting many 'essential' genes, but why? @eswaralab.bsky.social and @subtisilly.bsky.social say that free iron builds up in these mutants. Mg2+ mitigates this by redirecting metabolism towards limiting ROS production
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
Structural diversity and functional versatility in Gram-positive S-layers
#microbiology #bacteria #MicroSky
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#microbiology #bacteria #MicroSky
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
September 17, 2026 at 1:06 PM
Structural diversity and functional versatility in Gram-positive S-layers
#microbiology #bacteria #MicroSky
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#microbiology #bacteria #MicroSky
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
How do proteins localize in bacteria? Usually by binding to a prelocalized protein-but how does that protein localize? @vanipande.bsky.social found a #Bacillus subtilis protein that localizes via a lipid cue,undecaprenyl phosphate,that guides it to sites of PG synthesis
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
September 15, 2026 at 8:09 PM
How do proteins localize in bacteria? Usually by binding to a prelocalized protein-but how does that protein localize? @vanipande.bsky.social found a #Bacillus subtilis protein that localizes via a lipid cue,undecaprenyl phosphate,that guides it to sites of PG synthesis
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
Our paper (and my first first-author) is out!
The alarmone pGpp inhibits translation through GTP depletion
academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
🦠🚨🤠
@narjournal.bsky.social
The alarmone pGpp inhibits translation through GTP depletion
academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
🦠🚨🤠
@narjournal.bsky.social
academic.oup.com
September 13, 2026 at 12:30 PM
Our paper (and my first first-author) is out!
The alarmone pGpp inhibits translation through GTP depletion
academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
🦠🚨🤠
@narjournal.bsky.social
The alarmone pGpp inhibits translation through GTP depletion
academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
🦠🚨🤠
@narjournal.bsky.social
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
Mycobacterial rRNA methyltransferase GidB modulates discrimination of mischarged tRNA doi.org/10.7554/eLif... #MicroSky #RNASky 🧪
Ribosomal RNA methylation by GidB modulates discrimination of mischarged tRNA
The ribosomal rRNA methyltransferase GidB is involved in the discrimination of mischarged tRNAs in mycobacteria.
doi.org
September 13, 2026 at 2:58 PM
Mycobacterial rRNA methyltransferase GidB modulates discrimination of mischarged tRNA doi.org/10.7554/eLif... #MicroSky #RNASky 🧪
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
Pyridoxal-phosphate-dependent biosynthesis of aminovaleramide by AvaS in tRNA 🦠💫 Discovery of AvaS, the enzyme cqtqlyzing ava2C modificqtion on tRNA-ile www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Pyridoxal-phosphate-dependent biosynthesis of aminovaleramide by AvaS in tRNA - Nature Chemical Biology
Sun, Wu et al. identify AvaS as a pyridoxal-phosphate-dependent RNA-modifying enzyme, producing the tRNA modification ava2C from k2C in bacteria and plants and linking RNA chemistry to translational r...
www.nature.com
September 12, 2026 at 1:36 PM
Pyridoxal-phosphate-dependent biosynthesis of aminovaleramide by AvaS in tRNA 🦠💫 Discovery of AvaS, the enzyme cqtqlyzing ava2C modificqtion on tRNA-ile www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
UNC Greensboro Department of Biology is hiring for three positions this year including one in microbiology!
spartantalent.uncg.edu/postings/35918
spartantalent.uncg.edu/postings/35918
Assistant Professor Microbiology
The Department of Biology at UNC Greensboro (UNCG) seeks an individual with a strong record of accomplishment in microbiology broadly defined for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assista...
spartantalent.uncg.edu
September 11, 2026 at 2:14 PM
UNC Greensboro Department of Biology is hiring for three positions this year including one in microbiology!
spartantalent.uncg.edu/postings/35918
spartantalent.uncg.edu/postings/35918
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
Excited to share our preprint on Ignicoccus cell divison: only the inner membrane divides, progeny cells accumulate in cell clusters and pop-out! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Great work with the labs: @buzzbaum.bsky.social @curiousdina.bsky.social @anja1.bsky.social
@tbharat-lab.bsky.social
Great work with the labs: @buzzbaum.bsky.social @curiousdina.bsky.social @anja1.bsky.social
@tbharat-lab.bsky.social
The life cycle of an archaeon with multiple membranes
Many prokaryotes are diderms. They divide using an FtsZ division ring to simultaneously constrict physically coupled inner and outer membranes to form daughter cells with two membranes. Currently, onl...
www.biorxiv.org
September 11, 2026 at 8:02 AM
Excited to share our preprint on Ignicoccus cell divison: only the inner membrane divides, progeny cells accumulate in cell clusters and pop-out! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Great work with the labs: @buzzbaum.bsky.social @curiousdina.bsky.social @anja1.bsky.social
@tbharat-lab.bsky.social
Great work with the labs: @buzzbaum.bsky.social @curiousdina.bsky.social @anja1.bsky.social
@tbharat-lab.bsky.social
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
Really important from @ellinoralseth.bsky.social & @brownlab.bsky.social - a framework for defense as an evolved adaptation, in a world where ‘defense’ & ‘immune’ are often used to mean anti-infection
The bacterial immune system: identifying evolved defense adaptations
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
The bacterial immune system: identifying evolved defense adaptations
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
The bacterial immune system: identifying evolved defense adaptations
Recent years have witnessed a rapid expansion in bacterial defense mechanisms. Alongside
established defenses against molecular parasites, hundreds of novel mechanisms are
being described annually, co...
www.cell.com
September 11, 2026 at 9:55 AM
Really important from @ellinoralseth.bsky.social & @brownlab.bsky.social - a framework for defense as an evolved adaptation, in a world where ‘defense’ & ‘immune’ are often used to mean anti-infection
The bacterial immune system: identifying evolved defense adaptations
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
The bacterial immune system: identifying evolved defense adaptations
www.cell.com/trends/micro...
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
Acidic and alkaline conditions enhance Staphylococcus aureus α-toxin pore formation and cytotoxicity
Acidic and alkaline conditions enhance Staphylococcus aureus α-toxin pore formation and cytotoxicity - PubMed
Staphylococcus aureus α-toxin (AT) is a potent pore-forming toxin that causes cell damage during infection. The structure and activity of AT have been studied extensively, but the environmental factors...
t.co
September 10, 2026 at 10:42 PM
Acidic and alkaline conditions enhance Staphylococcus aureus α-toxin pore formation and cytotoxicity
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
Oral Actinobacteria sense and defend against parasitic epibionts https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.08.750141v1
September 10, 2026 at 2:16 AM
Oral Actinobacteria sense and defend against parasitic epibionts https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.08.750141v1
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
Most cells require carbonic anhydrase and/or bicarbonate import to sustain pools of soluble inorganic carbon (SIC=CO2+HCO3-). Here, we identify proteins required for SIC homeostasis in Bacillus subtilis and identify a mutation that bypasses their requirement.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Physiological Roles of Carbonic Anhydrases and an MpsAB-like Bicarbonate Transporter in Bacillus subtilis
Carbonic anhydrase (E.C. 4.2.1.1) is an enzyme that catalyzes the reversible hydration of CO2 to carbonic acid (H2CO3), which dissociates to bicarbonate (HCO3-) at intracellular pH. Copious amounts of...
www.biorxiv.org
September 9, 2026 at 9:02 PM
Most cells require carbonic anhydrase and/or bicarbonate import to sustain pools of soluble inorganic carbon (SIC=CO2+HCO3-). Here, we identify proteins required for SIC homeostasis in Bacillus subtilis and identify a mutation that bypasses their requirement.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
Genetic access to the obligate cyanobacterial endosymbiont Nostoc azollae within the Azolla fern host academic.oup.com/ismecommun/a...
Genetic access to the obligate cyanobacterial endosymbiont Nostoc azollae within the Azolla fern host
Abstract. Eukaryote-associated microbes are ubiquitous, but their essential roles in the development and ecology of their host is yet to be fully understoo
academic.oup.com
September 9, 2026 at 11:18 AM
Genetic access to the obligate cyanobacterial endosymbiont Nostoc azollae within the Azolla fern host academic.oup.com/ismecommun/a...
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
Cyclic di-AMP signalling affects cell division and penicillin susceptibility in Streptococcus pneumoniae. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.06.749708v1
September 9, 2026 at 12:15 PM
Cyclic di-AMP signalling affects cell division and penicillin susceptibility in Streptococcus pneumoniae. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.06.749708v1
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
Colibactin produced by a honeybee gut symbiont mediates pathogen defence:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#bee #honey @natmicrobiol.nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#bee #honey @natmicrobiol.nature.com
Colibactin produced by a honeybee gut symbiont mediates pathogen defence - Nature Microbiology
A colibactin-producing symbiont in honeybee guts defends against opportunistic pathogens and confers protection.
www.nature.com
September 7, 2026 at 1:10 PM
Colibactin produced by a honeybee gut symbiont mediates pathogen defence:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#bee #honey @natmicrobiol.nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#bee #honey @natmicrobiol.nature.com
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
Defining the order of assembly of the Clostridioides difficile divisome complex
#microbiology #Clostridia #MicroSky
@asm.org
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
#microbiology #Clostridia #MicroSky
@asm.org
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Defining the order of assembly of the Clostridioides difficile divisome complex | Journal of Bacteriology
Bacterial cell division has been extensively studied in model systems, but little
is known about how this essential process occurs in the clinically important pathogen
Clostridioides difficile. Studie...
journals.asm.org
September 7, 2026 at 7:09 AM
Defining the order of assembly of the Clostridioides difficile divisome complex
#microbiology #Clostridia #MicroSky
@asm.org
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
#microbiology #Clostridia #MicroSky
@asm.org
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
Sharing the link to our updated Vibrio preprint, where we compare and contrast Ecospecies with other genetic structures, and using the opportunity to fix typos and update some bluesky handles! with @danielfalush.bsky.social @whqqq.bsky.social @yjchao.bsky.social @chaooo.bsky.social
Evolution of hunt, kill, devour in a Vibrio ecospecies
Bacterial ecospecies are a recently recognized genetic structure that is hypothesized to arise by complex adaptation to a new niche. Coadaptation within the “Molassodon” ecospecies of Vibrio parahaemo...
www.biorxiv.org
November 19, 2025 at 3:16 AM
Sharing the link to our updated Vibrio preprint, where we compare and contrast Ecospecies with other genetic structures, and using the opportunity to fix typos and update some bluesky handles! with @danielfalush.bsky.social @whqqq.bsky.social @yjchao.bsky.social @chaooo.bsky.social
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
Really excited to share our new manuscript on how the #NLR protein #AfsR regulates #Streptomyces antibiotic production - and how we can use its similarity to plant NLR immune receptors to enhance this production! 📄🧵 (1/17) @johninnescentre.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
A conserved NLR activation switch governs global transcriptional control of antibiotic biosynthesis in Streptomyces
Nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain-like receptors (NLRs) are conserved molecular switches that regulate innate immunity across diverse domains of life. While best known for their roles in i...
www.biorxiv.org
September 4, 2026 at 10:57 AM
Really excited to share our new manuscript on how the #NLR protein #AfsR regulates #Streptomyces antibiotic production - and how we can use its similarity to plant NLR immune receptors to enhance this production! 📄🧵 (1/17) @johninnescentre.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
Thrilled to share this insightful work of Asher King @subtisilly.bsky.social and Pilar Horigian @pilarhorigian.bsky.social!
#ProudPI #MicroSky #AMR #SubtiWiki
In this work, we reveal the *magic* behind the protective effects of magnesium in Bacillus subtilis. Read Asher's 🧵 below for more details.
#ProudPI #MicroSky #AMR #SubtiWiki
In this work, we reveal the *magic* behind the protective effects of magnesium in Bacillus subtilis. Read Asher's 🧵 below for more details.
September 2, 2026 at 6:28 PM
Thrilled to share this insightful work of Asher King @subtisilly.bsky.social and Pilar Horigian @pilarhorigian.bsky.social!
#ProudPI #MicroSky #AMR #SubtiWiki
In this work, we reveal the *magic* behind the protective effects of magnesium in Bacillus subtilis. Read Asher's 🧵 below for more details.
#ProudPI #MicroSky #AMR #SubtiWiki
In this work, we reveal the *magic* behind the protective effects of magnesium in Bacillus subtilis. Read Asher's 🧵 below for more details.
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
I hadn't thought about the problem of division site selection in a long time. Really cool to see these new studies shining fresh light on such a fundamental question. Especially checkout this work by @aducret.bsky.social & Christophe Grangeasse: doi.org/10.1038/s415...
August 28, 2026 at 9:34 AM
I hadn't thought about the problem of division site selection in a long time. Really cool to see these new studies shining fresh light on such a fundamental question. Especially checkout this work by @aducret.bsky.social & Christophe Grangeasse: doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
Happy to share our recent paper at @pubs.acs.org's #ACSInfectDis studying the antibiotic responses of MRSA, one of the most common pathogens in paediatric patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), in CF artificial sputum compared to standard lab test conditions.
pubs.acs.org/aidcbc/artic...
pubs.acs.org/aidcbc/artic...
August 30, 2026 at 4:55 PM
Happy to share our recent paper at @pubs.acs.org's #ACSInfectDis studying the antibiotic responses of MRSA, one of the most common pathogens in paediatric patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), in CF artificial sputum compared to standard lab test conditions.
pubs.acs.org/aidcbc/artic...
pubs.acs.org/aidcbc/artic...
Reposted by Félix Ramos-León
I’m thrilled to share our newest study in which @thesbhowmick.bsky.social y.social developed and applied a genome-wide platform to uncover genetic interactions in Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
1/10
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
1/10
A genome-wide genetic interaction platform for MRSA reveals connections between cell division and the cell envelope
The bacterial cell cycle is an ensemble of integrated pathways that coordinates cell growth and division. Although these pathways contain a suite of promising antimicrobial targets, their functional o...
www.biorxiv.org
August 28, 2026 at 11:00 AM
I’m thrilled to share our newest study in which @thesbhowmick.bsky.social y.social developed and applied a genome-wide platform to uncover genetic interactions in Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
1/10
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
1/10