J. N. Weiser

Quorum-sensing agr system of Staphylococcus aureus primes gene expression for protection from lethal oxidative stress

This study shows that the agr quorum-sensing system in Staphylococcus aureus primes the bacteria to resist oxidative stress by controlling reactive oxygen species, even when the system is not actively activated.

Rewiring capsule production by CRISPRi-based genetic oscillators demonstrates a functional role of phenotypic variation in pneumococcal-host interactions

This study uses CRISPRi-based oscillators to show that capsule production variation benefits pneumococcal pathogenesis.

Targeting host sialic acids in the upper respiratory tract with a broadly-acting neuraminidase to inhibit influenza virus transmission

This study demonstrates that blocking both 2,3- and 2,6-sialic acid receptors in infant mice using a broadly-acting neuraminidase inhibits influenza virus transmission.

Oxidative reactions catalyzed by hydrogen peroxide produced by Streptococcus pneumoniae and other Streptococci Cause the Release and Degradation of Heme from Hemoglobin

BlpC-mediated selfish program leads to rapid loss of Streptococcus pneumoniae clonal diversity during infection

The paper shows that BlpC-mediated intra-strain competition reduces clonal diversity in Streptococcus pneumoniae during infection and transmission.

Neuraminidase B controls neuraminidase A-dependent mucus production and evasion

This study identifies the role of neuraminidase B in mucus evasion and mucus production by Streptococcus pneumoniae through enzymatic activity and gene regulation.

High titers of multiple antibody isotypes against the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain and nucleoprotein associate with better neutralization.

The paper assesses neutralization capacity and antibody titers against SARS-CoV-2 antigens in recovered healthcare workers, finding that high titers of multiple isotypes correlate with neutralization.

Competitive exclusion strengthens selection for transmissibility and increases the benefit of recombination for within-host adaptation.

The paper models how competitive exclusion in hosts affects pathogen transmissibility and within-host fitness, finding it strengthens selection for transmissibility and increases recombination's benefit for adaptation.

An infant mouse model of influenza virus transmission demonstrates the role of virus-specific shedding, humoral immunity, and sialidase expression by colonizing Streptococcus pneumoniae.

This paper introduces an infant mouse model to study influenza virus transmission, showing that viral shedding, age, humoral immunity, and sialidase activity of Streptococcus pneumoniae influence transmission efficiency.