And a special shout out to the trainees who made essential contributions, including @dburgin.bsky.social n.bsky.social (now in the Bernhardtlab @harvardmed.bsky.social y.social) and Ama Antwi at @univofmaryland.bsky.social.

Many thanks to all co-authors, especially to Michael Otto at #NIAID. This work spanned my postdoc in the Otto Lab
and into my independent position at the @univofmaryland.bsky.social nd.bsky.social where we are continuing the work @umdscience.bsky.social.

Overall, TMcin behave in ways like other small #antimicrobialpeptides as a monomer but more like the much larger pore-forming proteins as oligomers.

How does TMcin remain soluble with a TM helix? We discovered two strategies: 1) as a monomer, TMcin has a loop with beta-strand structure that folds over the TM helix, making the whole peptide amphipathic, and 2) S. aureus PSMs peptides act as surfactants to further solubilize TMcins.

Why would a bacteriocin possess a hydrophobic TM helix?

We proposed that the TM helix allow TMcins to assemble stable and large beta-barrel pores anchored in cell membranes by the surrounding TM helices.

We discovered the TMcin family in a rare cluster of #Staphylococcusaureus isolates but TMcin is found widely among Gram-positive bacteria.

TMcin has broad activity against Gram-positive bacteria including (non-TMcin-producing) #MRSA and #VRE.

We named it TMcin for transmembrane-helix containing bacteriocin.

3/ Vet Med Graduate Scholarship Fund – Investing in the education and success of our veterinary medicine graduate students.

givingday.umd.edu/campaigns/ve...

2/ Basil and Anne Hatziolos Scholarship for Veterinary Medicine Research – Empowering the next generation of researchers advancing veterinary science.

givingday.umd.edu/campaigns/ha...

1/ Veterinary Medicine Discretionary Fund – Providing critical support where it’s needed most, from student initiatives to groundbreaking research.

givingday.umd.edu/campaigns/ve...

DMPA meeting in March is not on the Federal Register.

www.federalregister.gov/documents/se...

Our department is looking for a Director of Administrative Services. We're in College Park inside the DC beltway.

umd.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/UMCP/j...

3/ Hopefully this will make it clear to more what we stand to lose, and have lost, by the wholesale dismantling of government agencies and withdrawal from global collaborations.

2/ Organizations try to achieve this with communications departments. But they don't have the reach into the public who live different lives. Individuals who know the good being done - maybe because they're the ones doing it! - can simply provide examples on their social media platforms.