M. Alam

Small molecule FICD inhibitors suppress endogenous and pathologic FICD-mediated protein AMPylation

This study identifies two small molecule inhibitors of FICD that suppress both endogenous and pathologic protein AMPylation, improving proinsulin processing in β cells.

The Role of Morphological Adaptability in Vibrio cholerae's Motility and Pathogenicity

This study examines how morphological changes in Vibrio cholerae affect its motility and pathogenicity in different viscosity environments.

Analysis of genetic variation in Macadamia shows evidence of extensive reticulate evolution

This study sequenced 166 Macadamia genotypes to analyze genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships, revealing extensive reticulate evolution and chloroplast capture events.

TANK binding kinase 1 promotes BACH1 degradation through both phosphorylation-dependent and -independent mechanisms without relying on heme and FBXO22

Hearing loss in juvenile rats leads to excessive play fighting and hyperactivity, mild cognitive deficits and altered neuronal activity in the prefrontal cortex

Mutation-Guided Vaccine Design: A Strategy for Developing Boosting Immunogens for HIV Broadly Neutralizing Antibody Induction

The paper demonstrates a mutation-guided vaccine strategy that induces HIV broadly neutralizing antibodies in mice by selecting for rare B cell lineage mutations.

Wolbachia action in the sperm produces developmentally deferred chromosome segregation defects during the Drosophila mid-blastula transition

The paper shows Wolbachia in sperm causes both immediate and delayed chromosome segregation defects in Drosophila embryos, with the delayed defect being rescued by infected female crosses.

Estimating the cumulative impact and zone of influence of anthropogenic features on biodiversity

The paper introduces a cumulative ZOI approach to quantify the combined impact of anthropogenic features on biodiversity, showing that focusing on nearest features underestimates cumulative effects.

The Vibrio cholerae Seventh Pandemic islands act in tandem to defend against a circulating phage

This paper identifies a phage sensitive to Vibrio cholerae's VSP islands and shows these islands provide phage defense, regulated by quorum sensing.

Vibrio tarriae sp. nov., a novel member of the Cholerae clade isolated from across the United States

The paper describes the discovery and characterization of a novel Vibrio species, Vibrio tarriae, based on genetic, phylogenetic, and phenotypic analyses of isolates from the United States.

Evolutionary sweeps of subviral parasites and their phage host bring unique parasite variants and disappearance of a phage CRISPR-Cas system

The paper identifies new PLE variants in V. cholerae and links their spread to the loss of a CRISPR-Cas system in its phage host.

Predisposition to Proinsulin Misfolding as a Genetic Risk to Diet-Induced Diabetes

This study shows that a proinsulin mutation increases susceptibility to diet-induced diabetes in mice, with severity linked to genetic dosage and beta-cell dysfunction.

Population analysis of Vibrio cholerae in aquatic reservoirs reveals a novel sister species (Vibrio paracholerae sp. nov.) with a history of association with human infections

The paper identifies a novel Vibrio cholerae species, Vibrio paracholerae, in aquatic environments with potential human pathogenicity and links it to cholera outbreaks.

A broadly neutralizing antibody protects against SARS-CoV, pre-emergent bat CoVs, and SARS-CoV-2 variants in mice

A broadly neutralizing antibody protects against multiple SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 variants in mice by targeting a conserved epitope in the receptor-binding domain.

Nonsterile immunity to cryptosporidiosis in infants is associated with mucosal IgA against the sporozoite and protection from malnutrition

This study links nonsterile immunity to cryptosporidiosis in infants with mucosal IgA against Cp23 and reduced growth faltering.

Temporal Shifts in Antibiotic Resistance Elements Govern Virus-Pathogen Conflicts

The paper shows that fluctuations in SXT ICEs govern Vibrio cholerae susceptibility to phages in clinical samples, with phage counter-adaptation and SXT ICE dissemination observed.

A Vibrio cholerae Core Genome Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme to Facilitate the Epidemiological Study of Cholera

This paper introduces a cgMLST scheme for Vibrio cholerae, demonstrating its ability to identify outbreak-related strains and sublineages with higher resolution than existing methods.

Megasphaera in the stool microbiota is negatively associated with diarrheal cryptosporidiosis

The paper finds that lower Megasphaera abundance in stool microbiota is associated with diarrheal symptoms in infants infected with Cryptosporidium.

Protein mimetic amyloid inhibitor potently abrogates cancer-associated mutant p53 aggregation and restores tumor suppressor function

This study identifies a small-molecule amyloid inhibitor that disrupts mutant p53 aggregation, restores its function, and reduces tumor growth in xenograft models.

Cold sensitivity of the SARS-CoV-2 spike ectodomain

The paper shows that the SARS-CoV-2 spike ectodomain construct 2P is cold-sensitive, and this sensitivity is resolved in a down-state stabilized spike.

Fab-dimerized glycan-reactive antibodies neutralize HIV and are prevalent in humans and rhesus macaques

The paper identifies Fab-dimerized glycan-reactive antibodies in HIV-infected macaques and HIV-naïve humans that neutralize HIV-1 and can be elicited by vaccination.

Single-cell transcriptomic profile reveals macrophage heterogeneity in medulloblastoma and their treatment-dependent recruitment

The paper uses single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing to study macrophage heterogeneity in medulloblastoma and shows differential recruitment with targeted vs. radiation therapy.

Simultaneous quantification of Vibrio metoecus and Vibrio cholerae with its O1 serogroup and toxigenic subpopulations in environmental reservoirs

This paper develops a multiplex qPCR assay to quantify Vibrio metoecus and V. cholerae subpopulations in environmental samples, revealing seasonal and geographic differences in their abundance.

Mammary epithelial cells have lineage-restricted metabolic identities

The paper identifies lineage-restricted metabolic identities in normal mammary epithelial cells and links them to breast cancer metabolic heterogeneity.

Electrospun cellulose acetate/gelatin nanofibrous wound dressing containing berberine for diabetic foot ulcer healing: in vitro and in vivo studies

This paper develops a berberine-loaded electrospun cellulose acetate/gelatin nanofibrous dressing for diabetic foot ulcers, showing improved antibacterial activity and biological performance in vitro and in vivo.

Metabolically-active obligate aerobes in anoxic (sulfidic) marine sediments

The paper identifies metabolically-active obligate aerobes in anoxic marine sediments by combining culture-dependent and -independent methods, revealing their survival through cryptic oxygen production.

Two pathways for thiosulfate oxidation in the alphaproteobacterial chemolithotroph Paracoccus thiocyanatus SST

This paper identifies two distinct pathways for thiosulfate oxidation in Paracoccus thiocyanatus SST: a Sox system and a Tetrathionate-Intermediate pathway, with the latter being more efficient for thiosulfate conversion.

Inorganic salts and compatible solutes help mesophilic bacteria inhabit the high temperature waters of a Trans-Himalayan sulfur-borax spring

The paper investigates how inorganic salts and compatible solutes enable mesophilic bacteria to thrive in high-temperature Trans-Himalayan hot springs by stabilizing macromolecules and maintaining cell viability.

Viral satellites exploit phage proteins to escape degradation of the bacterial host chromosome

The paper shows that phage satellites like PLE in Vibrio cholerae use phage-encoded helicases to replicate and evade phage-mediated genome degradation.

Validation of the protein kinase PfCLK3 as a multi-stage cross species malarial drug target

This study identifies PfCLK3 as a druggable target for malaria by showing its essential role in multiple parasite life stages across species.