Emily P. Balskus

The paper structures ZmaM, a type II peptidase-ABC transporter in B. cereus, showing it activates and exports zwittermicin A by coordinating peptidase and transporter modules.

This paper determines the structure of indoleacetate decarboxylase and challenges the proposed mechanism of skatole formation by showing it may follow a Kolbe-type decarboxylation rather than hydrogen atom transfer.

This paper develops AFMT analogs that inhibit gut bacterial L-dopa decarboxylases while reducing susceptibility to host metabolism.

This study investigates microbial dysbiosis in children with cystic fibrosis, identifying glycerol as a driver of altered microbial competition and linking colibactin production to increased colorectal cancer risk.

The paper discovers a new class of bile salt hydrolases in the human gut microbiome that use metal cofactors instead of the typical Ntn mechanism.

This study develops chemiluminescent probes to rapidly detect colibactin-producing bacteria in stool samples, showing improved sensitivity and speed over fluorescent alternatives.

This study identifies chemical scaffolds that inhibit gut microbial choline metabolism and reduce TMAO levels in mice using phenotypic screening.

The paper develops a reactivity-based screening method to capture diazo-containing metabolites, discovering two novel compounds from Nocardia ninae and revealing their biosynthesis via hydrazone oxidation catalyzed by Dob3.

This study isolates and characterizes flavoaffinins, yellow-orange cellulose-binding pigments from Clostridium thermocellum, revealing their unique structure and biosynthesis.

This study identifies and characterizes the IsmB enzyme, which catalyzes a key step in coprostanol formation by the human gut microbiome, and links its presence to lower serum cholesterol levels.

This study shows that colibactin from the honeybee symbiont Frischella perrara defends against pathogens and influences gut microbial community structure.

This study identifies two distinct molybdenum-dependent enzyme families that produce urolithin A from ellagic acid, linking gut bacterial metabolism to host inflammation in IBD.

This study determines the structure and specificity of colibactin-DNA interstrand crosslinks using mass spectrometry and NMR, revealing how the toxin's central motif mediates sequence specificity.

This study investigates how the Fanconi anemia pathway repairs colibactin-induced DNA interstrand cross-links using Xenopus egg extracts.

This study identifies regulators of AHR signaling in hepatocytes using CRISPR screening, revealing novel mechanisms and cell-type-specific components for therapeutic targeting.

The paper shows that a metabolite from Vibrio ordalii induces prophages in competing Vibrio species by inhibiting peptide deformylase, enhancing competitive advantage through prophage activation.

This paper identifies a new heme enzyme family that catalyzes hydrazine formation in natural product biosynthesis through a four-electron reduction of nitrite.

This study identifies Prevotella as a major source of sialidases in the vaginal microbiome, showing their prevalence and activity compared to Gardnerella.

This study identifies P. timonensis as a BV-associated bacterium with high mucin-degrading enzyme activity that removes protective glycocalyx sugars from vaginal epithelium.

The paper identifies and characterizes enzymes involved in N-hydroxypyrrole biosynthesis, revealing new insights into the formation of unique functional groups in natural products.

This paper develops a cell-free platform combining CFPS and AlphaLISA to rapidly study and engineer PTM installing proteins for therapeutic applications.

The paper identifies a widespread gene cluster encoding methyltransferase homologs involved in methylotrophic methanogenesis across bacteria and archaea.