This study identifies DUF4062 as TIR-like NADases involved in bacterial antiphage defense and eukaryotic RNA vault function through structural and biochemical analyses.

bioRxiv · May 5, 2026 · PreprintBiochemistry

Bacterial ubiquitin ligase engineered for small molecule and protein target identification

James S. Ye, Abir Majumdar, Brenden C. Park, Miles H. Black, Ting‐Sung Hsieh, Adam Osinski, Kelly A. Servage, Kartik Kulkarni, Jacinth Naidoo, Neal M. Alto, Margaret M. Stratton, Dominique Alfandari, Joseph M. Ready, Krzysztof Pawłowski, Diana R. Tomchick, Vincent S. Tagliabracci

This paper introduces SidBait, a modular proximity ligation approach to identify small molecule and protein targets, validated with known interactions and applied to discover new targets like CaMKII and CapZ.

The EMBO Journal · Jan 3, 2026Peer-reviewedMolecular Biology

Covalent inhibition of the SARS-CoV-2 NiRAN domain via an active-site cysteine

Genaro Hernandez, Adam Osinski, Abir Majumdar, Jennifer L. Eitson, Monika I. Antczak, Krzysztof Pawłowski, Hanspeter Niederstrasser, Kelly A. Servage, Bruce A. Posner, John W. Schoggins, Joseph M. Ready, Vincent S. Tagliabracci

The paper identifies NCI-2, a covalent inhibitor of the SARS-CoV-2 NiRAN domain, and presents a structural blueprint for drug design.

Journal of Biological Chemistry · Mar 4, 2025Peer-reviewedBiochemistry