1/ 🧵 Two classic mitochondrial pathways the TCA cycle and OXPHOS are taught as linked but distinct pathways. I’m happy to share our new work out in @cp-cell.bsky.social showing that in Acanthamoeba they're physically linked—with a TCA enzyme incorporated in ATP synthase. www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Acanthamoeba ATP synthase structure reveals the TCA cycle is tethered to OXPHOS
Acanthamoeba castellanii, a pathogenic amoeba, belongs to an evolutionary branch distinctly
removed from humans and fungi. Cryo-EM of the organism’s ATP synthase enzyme using
raw mitochondrial lysates...
www.cell.com
October 2, 2026 at 2:09 PM
1/ 🧵 Two classic mitochondrial pathways the TCA cycle and OXPHOS are taught as linked but distinct pathways. I’m happy to share our new work out in @cp-cell.bsky.social showing that in Acanthamoeba they're physically linked—with a TCA enzyme incorporated in ATP synthase. www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Acanthamoeba keratitis is a rare but blinding parasitic eye disease. Experts share how to avoid it and treat it.
A blinding parasitic eye disease affects mostly contact lens wearers. Here’s how to avoid it | CNN
Acanthamoeba keratitis is a rare but blinding parasitic eye disease. Experts share how to avoid it and treat it.
www.cnn.com
January 16, 2026 at 6:07 AM
Acanthamoeba keratitis is a rare but blinding parasitic eye disease. Experts share how to avoid it and treat it.
5/ Dmitry Steshin, a prominent Russian warblogger, presumably thought it was safe to use as a shower water, but ended up with an infection of acanthamoeba keratitis in both eyes after doing so. He writes:
August 20, 2025 at 7:55 AM
5/ Dmitry Steshin, a prominent Russian warblogger, presumably thought it was safe to use as a shower water, but ended up with an infection of acanthamoeba keratitis in both eyes after doing so. He writes:
Acanthamoeba ATP synthase structure reveals the TCA cycle is tethered to OXPHOS pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42822427/ #cryoem
October 2, 2026 at 10:46 AM
Acanthamoeba ATP synthase structure reveals the TCA cycle is tethered to OXPHOS pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42822427/ #cryoem
New work out!
Spearheaded by Lotte, we have developed a single-molecule messenger RNA fluorescence in situ hybridisation (smFISH) protocol for #giantViruses in an #Acanthamoeba host.
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
1/4
#ProtistsOnSky #MicroSky @dome-vienna.bsky.social @cemess.bsky.social @erc.europa.eu
Spearheaded by Lotte, we have developed a single-molecule messenger RNA fluorescence in situ hybridisation (smFISH) protocol for #giantViruses in an #Acanthamoeba host.
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
1/4
#ProtistsOnSky #MicroSky @dome-vienna.bsky.social @cemess.bsky.social @erc.europa.eu
May 8, 2025 at 11:35 AM
New work out!
Spearheaded by Lotte, we have developed a single-molecule messenger RNA fluorescence in situ hybridisation (smFISH) protocol for #giantViruses in an #Acanthamoeba host.
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
1/4
#ProtistsOnSky #MicroSky @dome-vienna.bsky.social @cemess.bsky.social @erc.europa.eu
Spearheaded by Lotte, we have developed a single-molecule messenger RNA fluorescence in situ hybridisation (smFISH) protocol for #giantViruses in an #Acanthamoeba host.
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
1/4
#ProtistsOnSky #MicroSky @dome-vienna.bsky.social @cemess.bsky.social @erc.europa.eu
Contact lens wearers:
Google ‘Acanthamoeba keratitis’ and thank me later for saving your eyes.
Google ‘Acanthamoeba keratitis’ and thank me later for saving your eyes.
September 5, 2026 at 9:11 AM
Contact lens wearers:
Google ‘Acanthamoeba keratitis’ and thank me later for saving your eyes.
Google ‘Acanthamoeba keratitis’ and thank me later for saving your eyes.
Free-living amoebae of the genus Acanthamoeba are the cause of a severe sight-threatening infection of the cornea known as Acanthamoeba keratitis.
This 2015 review on Acanthamoeba keratitis 🧪was highly cited.
#openacces text: doi.org/10.1051/para...
Abstract: click ALT on image.
This 2015 review on Acanthamoeba keratitis 🧪was highly cited.
#openacces text: doi.org/10.1051/para...
Abstract: click ALT on image.
February 3, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Free-living amoebae of the genus Acanthamoeba are the cause of a severe sight-threatening infection of the cornea known as Acanthamoeba keratitis.
This 2015 review on Acanthamoeba keratitis 🧪was highly cited.
#openacces text: doi.org/10.1051/para...
Abstract: click ALT on image.
This 2015 review on Acanthamoeba keratitis 🧪was highly cited.
#openacces text: doi.org/10.1051/para...
Abstract: click ALT on image.
New paper today:
Proteomic identification of Acanthamoeba castellanii excretory–secretory proteins associated with Klebsiella pneumoniae capsule enlargement: a candidate role for C-type lysozyme 🧪
doi.org/10.1051/para...
Proteomic identification of Acanthamoeba castellanii excretory–secretory proteins associated with Klebsiella pneumoniae capsule enlargement: a candidate role for C-type lysozyme 🧪
doi.org/10.1051/para...
October 2, 2026 at 8:48 AM
New paper today:
Proteomic identification of Acanthamoeba castellanii excretory–secretory proteins associated with Klebsiella pneumoniae capsule enlargement: a candidate role for C-type lysozyme 🧪
doi.org/10.1051/para...
Proteomic identification of Acanthamoeba castellanii excretory–secretory proteins associated with Klebsiella pneumoniae capsule enlargement: a candidate role for C-type lysozyme 🧪
doi.org/10.1051/para...
Patient also used nasal rinses which is the more plausible exposure plus his age of course. The article contains a link to the skin lesions with I did not share but very useful for clinical learning. The case reported is published in EID
wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/...
wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/...
Disseminated <em>Acanthamoeba</em> Infection with Necrotic Skin Lesions and Granulomatous Vasculitis, United States
Disseminated <em>Acanthamoeba</em> Infection
wwwnc.cdc.gov
May 3, 2026 at 8:12 PM
Patient also used nasal rinses which is the more plausible exposure plus his age of course. The article contains a link to the skin lesions with I did not share but very useful for clinical learning. The case reported is published in EID
wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/...
wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/...
12/ Doc Jasser diagnosed me in the clinic elevator, although it's quite an exotic diagnosis - ‘acanthamoeba keratitis’. You have amoebas under your eyelids, and they are literally eating your cornea, piece by piece, munching away...
August 20, 2025 at 7:55 AM
12/ Doc Jasser diagnosed me in the clinic elevator, although it's quite an exotic diagnosis - ‘acanthamoeba keratitis’. You have amoebas under your eyelids, and they are literally eating your cornea, piece by piece, munching away...
Daughter had acanthamoeba in her eye, medicine prescribed by doctor was not legal in the US because of big pharma having a $35000 a month option the FDA approved after disapproving another medication available everywhere else in the world for $0.50 month.
Disgusting greed.
Disgusting greed.
May 8, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Daughter had acanthamoeba in her eye, medicine prescribed by doctor was not legal in the US because of big pharma having a $35000 a month option the FDA approved after disapproving another medication available everywhere else in the world for $0.50 month.
Disgusting greed.
Disgusting greed.
13/ "‘A rare disease in which Acanthamoeba amoebas penetrate the cornea of the eye. This can lead to irreversible vision impairment or blindness.’ I was only able to have my eyes examined after receiving painkillers.
August 20, 2025 at 7:55 AM
13/ "‘A rare disease in which Acanthamoeba amoebas penetrate the cornea of the eye. This can lead to irreversible vision impairment or blindness.’ I was only able to have my eyes examined after receiving painkillers.
So excited to see this CPC out from @jenncuellarr.bsky.social and colleagues from @niaidnews.bsky.social about a case of Acanthamoeba in an HSCT recipient. Exemplary case and great work finding the potential source.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Acanthamoeba Infection in a Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipient: Challenges in Diagnosis, Management, and Source Identification
Acanthamoeba infection in HCT recipients, represent multiple challenges. Early diagnosis, and effective treatment, remain the main barriers to survival. High index of suspicion, may help in identifyi...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
January 2, 2025 at 7:06 PM
So excited to see this CPC out from @jenncuellarr.bsky.social and colleagues from @niaidnews.bsky.social about a case of Acanthamoeba in an HSCT recipient. Exemplary case and great work finding the potential source.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
New #ISEPpapers #Preprint! #CRISPR / Cas9 #GeneEditing in the heterotrophic protist #Acanthamoeba castellanii www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
#Protists #Microbes #Parasites #ProtistsOnSky
#Protists #Microbes #Parasites #ProtistsOnSky
August 23, 2026 at 6:28 PM
New #ISEPpapers #Preprint! #CRISPR / Cas9 #GeneEditing in the heterotrophic protist #Acanthamoeba castellanii www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
#Protists #Microbes #Parasites #ProtistsOnSky
#Protists #Microbes #Parasites #ProtistsOnSky
Acanthamoeba castellanii genome reannotation and multi-omic encystation profiling reveals cyst wall proteins and carbohydrate-active enzymes.
Learn more in Cell Press Blue: www.cell.com/cell-press-b...
Jonathan A. Stefely & colleagues
@cellpressblue.bsky.social
Learn more in Cell Press Blue: www.cell.com/cell-press-b...
Jonathan A. Stefely & colleagues
@cellpressblue.bsky.social
October 1, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Acanthamoeba castellanii genome reannotation and multi-omic encystation profiling reveals cyst wall proteins and carbohydrate-active enzymes.
Learn more in Cell Press Blue: www.cell.com/cell-press-b...
Jonathan A. Stefely & colleagues
@cellpressblue.bsky.social
Learn more in Cell Press Blue: www.cell.com/cell-press-b...
Jonathan A. Stefely & colleagues
@cellpressblue.bsky.social
"I have seen it all" is a statement no ID doc ever makes.
Disseminated Acanthamoeba infection presenting with skin lesion.
Exposure= algae infested water in Florida while cleaning up after the hurricane.
Risk factor - Patient on Dupilumab
Died 6 weeks after diagnosis.
arstechnica.com/health/2026/...
Disseminated Acanthamoeba infection presenting with skin lesion.
Exposure= algae infested water in Florida while cleaning up after the hurricane.
Risk factor - Patient on Dupilumab
Died 6 weeks after diagnosis.
arstechnica.com/health/2026/...
Man dies covered in necrotic lesions after amoebas eat him alive
Doctors suspect three factors, each unremarkable on its own, contributed to his fate.
arstechnica.com
May 3, 2026 at 8:08 PM
"I have seen it all" is a statement no ID doc ever makes.
Disseminated Acanthamoeba infection presenting with skin lesion.
Exposure= algae infested water in Florida while cleaning up after the hurricane.
Risk factor - Patient on Dupilumab
Died 6 weeks after diagnosis.
arstechnica.com/health/2026/...
Disseminated Acanthamoeba infection presenting with skin lesion.
Exposure= algae infested water in Florida while cleaning up after the hurricane.
Risk factor - Patient on Dupilumab
Died 6 weeks after diagnosis.
arstechnica.com/health/2026/...
So nice to see more and more work on visualizing interactions to dive into replication cycles… here with acanthamoeba and giant viruses ! Congrats @willemsenanouk.bsky.social !
New work out!
Spearheaded by Lotte, we have developed a single-molecule messenger RNA fluorescence in situ hybridisation (smFISH) protocol for #giantViruses in an #Acanthamoeba host.
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
1/4
#ProtistsOnSky #MicroSky @dome-vienna.bsky.social @cemess.bsky.social @erc.europa.eu
Spearheaded by Lotte, we have developed a single-molecule messenger RNA fluorescence in situ hybridisation (smFISH) protocol for #giantViruses in an #Acanthamoeba host.
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
1/4
#ProtistsOnSky #MicroSky @dome-vienna.bsky.social @cemess.bsky.social @erc.europa.eu
May 11, 2025 at 8:54 AM
So nice to see more and more work on visualizing interactions to dive into replication cycles… here with acanthamoeba and giant viruses ! Congrats @willemsenanouk.bsky.social !
I have only seen two cases of Acanthamoeba infection.
One case was a person with advanced HIV with meningo-encephalitis and unfortunately they died 3 weeks after infection
2nd case was localized sinus infection in a renal transplant patient treated with surgical debridement and multimodal meds.
One case was a person with advanced HIV with meningo-encephalitis and unfortunately they died 3 weeks after infection
2nd case was localized sinus infection in a renal transplant patient treated with surgical debridement and multimodal meds.
May 3, 2026 at 8:14 PM
I have only seen two cases of Acanthamoeba infection.
One case was a person with advanced HIV with meningo-encephalitis and unfortunately they died 3 weeks after infection
2nd case was localized sinus infection in a renal transplant patient treated with surgical debridement and multimodal meds.
One case was a person with advanced HIV with meningo-encephalitis and unfortunately they died 3 weeks after infection
2nd case was localized sinus infection in a renal transplant patient treated with surgical debridement and multimodal meds.
👁️🦠 A #proteomic map of #eye-infecting #Acanthamoeba reveals how its mitochondria adapt to low oxygen—including producing #hydrogen gas—and identifies unusual #proteins that could become #drug targets.
#Parasites #Proteomics #Drugs #Microsky via genengnews .com
www.genengnews.com/topics/omics...
#Parasites #Proteomics #Drugs #Microsky via genengnews .com
www.genengnews.com/topics/omics...
Proteomics Maps Eye-Infecting Acanthamoeba Mitochondria Across Oxygen Levels
The Acanthamoeba mitoproteome was mapped, revealing oxygen-driven metabolic shifts and potential targets for safer infection treatments.
www.genengnews.com
October 3, 2026 at 10:30 PM
👁️🦠 A #proteomic map of #eye-infecting #Acanthamoeba reveals how its mitochondria adapt to low oxygen—including producing #hydrogen gas—and identifies unusual #proteins that could become #drug targets.
#Parasites #Proteomics #Drugs #Microsky via genengnews .com
www.genengnews.com/topics/omics...
#Parasites #Proteomics #Drugs #Microsky via genengnews .com
www.genengnews.com/topics/omics...
Wusstet ihr, dass Kontaktlinsen nicht in Kontakt mit Wasser kommen sollen? Habe ein Tiktok Video gesehen, wo jemand durch so einen Vorfall erblindete, weil in Wasser diese Amöben leben. Hab das für Quatsch gehalten (habe aber auch keine Linsen), aber es ist wahr 😱 www.lensbest.de/beratung/aug...
Was ist Acanthamoeba-Keratitis? | LensbestIC_Lensbest-Warenkorb_gefuelltLensbest LogoLensbest Logo Claim
Acanthamoeba-Keratitis ist eine Infektion im Auge, die unbehandelt zur Erblindung führen kann. Lensbest klärt über Symptome und Behandlungsmöglichkeiten auf!
www.lensbest.de
May 10, 2024 at 6:45 PM
Wusstet ihr, dass Kontaktlinsen nicht in Kontakt mit Wasser kommen sollen? Habe ein Tiktok Video gesehen, wo jemand durch so einen Vorfall erblindete, weil in Wasser diese Amöben leben. Hab das für Quatsch gehalten (habe aber auch keine Linsen), aber es ist wahr 😱 www.lensbest.de/beratung/aug...
CW: death
.
"He died from an Acanthamoeba #infection, which was likely acquired by using #TapWater ..The free-living ameba..was detected in the patient’s #brain tissue, an electronic nasal irrigator, and a #CPAP machine.":
via SleepReviewMag
#encephalitis
.
"He died from an Acanthamoeba #infection, which was likely acquired by using #TapWater ..The free-living ameba..was detected in the patient’s #brain tissue, an electronic nasal irrigator, and a #CPAP machine.":
via SleepReviewMag
#encephalitis
Patient’s CPAP Mistake Linked to Deadly Infection
A 66-year-old patient with OSA died, prompting a CDC alert about Acanthamoeba infections potentially linked to using tap water in CPAPs.
buff.ly
April 12, 2025 at 3:30 PM
CW: death
.
"He died from an Acanthamoeba #infection, which was likely acquired by using #TapWater ..The free-living ameba..was detected in the patient’s #brain tissue, an electronic nasal irrigator, and a #CPAP machine.":
via SleepReviewMag
#encephalitis
.
"He died from an Acanthamoeba #infection, which was likely acquired by using #TapWater ..The free-living ameba..was detected in the patient’s #brain tissue, an electronic nasal irrigator, and a #CPAP machine.":
via SleepReviewMag
#encephalitis
An eye-infecting amoeba has 20 cyst-wall protein families absent in humans—potential drug targets against its treatment-resistant form that still need investigation.
Eye-eating amoeba resists treatment—understanding its biochemistry could help
In water, soil and air all around us lives a free-living, single-celled organism called Acanthamoeba. Most of the time, Acanthamoeba keeps to itself.
phys.org
October 1, 2026 at 3:00 PM
An eye-infecting amoeba has 20 cyst-wall protein families absent in humans—potential drug targets against its treatment-resistant form that still need investigation.
2/ The enzyme is malate dehydrogenase (MDH), a core TCA-cycle enzyme. By imaging unenriched and unpurified mitochondrial lysate, we resolved the cryo-EM structure of Acanthamoeba ATP synthase and found an MDH dimer integrated into its peripheral stalk.
October 2, 2026 at 2:13 PM
2/ The enzyme is malate dehydrogenase (MDH), a core TCA-cycle enzyme. By imaging unenriched and unpurified mitochondrial lysate, we resolved the cryo-EM structure of Acanthamoeba ATP synthase and found an MDH dimer integrated into its peripheral stalk.
𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆: 🧪
Calcium ions in tap water may increase the adhesion ability of Acanthamoeba, potentially enhancing its cytopathic effects on corneal cells
doi.org/10.1051/para...
Calcium ions in tap water may increase the adhesion ability of Acanthamoeba, potentially enhancing its cytopathic effects on corneal cells
doi.org/10.1051/para...
November 24, 2025 at 9:40 AM
𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆: 🧪
Calcium ions in tap water may increase the adhesion ability of Acanthamoeba, potentially enhancing its cytopathic effects on corneal cells
doi.org/10.1051/para...
Calcium ions in tap water may increase the adhesion ability of Acanthamoeba, potentially enhancing its cytopathic effects on corneal cells
doi.org/10.1051/para...