A. Shen

Protection against Clostridioides difficile disease by a naturally avirulent C. difficile strain

This paper shows that an avirulent C. difficile strain, ST1-75, protects mice from virulent strain-induced colitis by outcompeting it through rapid amino acid depletion, suggesting potential as a biotherapeutic for CDI prevention.

Unique growth and morphology properties of Clade 5 Clostridioides difficile strains revealed by single-cell time-lapse microscopy

This study identifies distinct growth and chaining properties in Clade 5 Clostridioides difficile strains using time-lapse microscopy, linked to the cmr switch sequence orientation.

A spatial cell atlas of neuroblastoma reveals developmental, epigenetic and spatial axis of tumor heterogeneity

This paper creates a spatial cell atlas of neuroblastoma, revealing tumor heterogeneity through multi-omics data and identifying spatial compartmentalization and signaling patterns.

Biodesign of Frugal CRISPR Kits for Equitable and Accessible Education

This study develops a frugal CRISPR kit for K-12 education, enabling hands-on genome engineering experiments without traditional lab equipment or high costs.

Analyses of cell wall synthesis in Clostridioides difficile reveal a diversification in cell division mechanisms in endospore-forming bacteria

This study reveals that C. difficile uses a bifunctional class A penicillin-binding protein for cell division during normal growth, diverging from the typical FtsW-FtsI divisome mechanism.

Flagellar switch inverted repeat impacts flagellar invertibility and varies Clostridioides difficile RT027/MLST1 virulence.

The paper identifies that longer inverted repeats in the flagellar switch region of C. difficile RT027 strains correlate with greater virulence and phenotypic heterogeneity in flagellar gene expression.

Single-cell and spatial multi-omics highlight effects of anti-integrin therapy across cellular compartments in ulcerative colitis

This study uses single-cell and spatial multi-omics to show VDZ affects mononuclear phagocyte subsets and highlights gene expression patterns in UC.

Single-spore germination analyses reveal that calcium released during Clostridioides difficile germination functions in a feed-forward loop.

This study uses single-spore germination analysis to show that Ca2+ is not essential for C. difficile spore germination but can enhance germination through a feedforward loop.

Identification of a bile acid-binding transcription factor in Clostridioides difficile using chemical proteomics

This study identifies BapR, a bile acid-sensing transcription factor in C. difficile, using chemical proteomics and shows it regulates gene expression in response to lithocholic acid.

Senescent Preosteoclast Secretome Promotes Metabolic Syndrome Associated Osteoarthritis through Cyclooxygenase 2

This study identifies a senescent preosteoclast secretome-COX2/PGE2 axis as a driver of metabolic syndrome-associated osteoarthritis, with selective COX2 inhibitors showing therapeutic potential.

Development of a dual fluorescent reporter system in Clostridioides difficile reveals a division of labor between virulence and transmission gene expression

This study develops a dual fluorescent reporter system to analyze toxin and sporulation gene expression in C. difficile, revealing a division of labor between virulence and transmission gene expression under specific growth conditions.

The Stickland fermentation precursor trans-4-hydroxyproline differentially impacts the metabolism of Clostridioides difficile and commensal Clostridia

This study investigates how trans-4-hydroxyproline affects the metabolism of C. difficile and commensal Clostridia, revealing differential gene expression and microbiota changes in mice.

A self-amplifying mRNA COVID-19 vaccine drives potent and broad immune responses at low doses that protects non-human primates against SARS-CoV-2

This paper develops a self-amplifying mRNA vaccine that induces strong immune responses in mice and non-human primates, offering protection against SARS-CoV-2 at low doses.

Allosteric activation of CwlD amidase activity by the GerS lipoprotein during Clostridioides difficile spore formation

This study determines the crystal structure of the CwlD:GerS complex in C. difficile, revealing that GerS stabilizes zinc binding to CwlD, essential for its amidase activity during spore formation.

SARS-CoV-2 infection studies in lung organoids identify TSPAN8 as novel mediator

The paper identifies TSPAN8 as a novel mediator of SARS-CoV-2 infection in lung organoids, showing its correlation with infection rates and susceptibility to blocking antibodies.

A Pan-Cancer Census of Dominant Tumor Immune Archetypes

The paper identifies dominant immune system archetypes across 364 tumors from 12 cancer types using flow cytometry and transcriptomic data, linking them to tumor biology classifications.

Screening of HLA-A restricted T cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 and induction of CD8+ T cell responses in HLA-A transgenic mice

This study identifies and validates SARS-CoV-2 CD8+ T cell epitopes, demonstrates their cross-presentation, and shows the efficacy of peptide vaccines in transgenic mice.

Identification of a novel regulator of Clostridioides difficile cortex formation

This paper identifies SpoVQ as a novel regulator of C. difficile cortex formation, showing it links cortex and coat formation and is essential for spore viability.

Global Absence and Targeting of Protective Immune States in Severe COVID-19.

The paper identifies that severe COVID-19 patients lack ISG-expressing cells and have antibodies that block their production, contrasting with mild cases.

Role of SpoIVA ATPase Motifs During Clostridioides difficile Sporulation

This study investigates how ATPase motifs in SpoIVA affect spore formation in C. difficile, showing that SipL recognizes the ATP-bound form of SpoIVA for proper coat assembly.

Differential Effects of 'Resurrecting' Cap Pseudoproteases during Clostridioides difficile Spore Germination

This study investigates whether restoring the catalytic triad in C. difficile pseudoproteases CspC and CspA can revive their protease activity during spore germination, finding that catalytic triad presence does not guarantee protease function.

PBS3 and EPS1 complete salicylic acid biosynthesis from isochorismate in Arabidopsis

This study identifies PBS3 and EPS1 as enzymes completing salicylic acid biosynthesis from isochorismate in Arabidopsis, differing from bacterial pathways.

β-blockers augment L-type Ca2+ channel activity by target-selective spatially restricted β2AR-cAMP-PKA signaling in neurons

This study shows β-blockers like carvedilol can activate β2AR at low concentrations, enhancing L-type Ca2+ channel activity in neurons through localized cAMP/PKA signaling.

SpoIVA-SipL complex formation is essential for Clostridioides difficile spore assembly

This paper shows that the SpoIVA-SipL complex is essential for C. difficile spore formation and identifies key residues in the LysM domain that stabilize their interaction.

The CspC pseudoprotease regulates germination of Clostridioides difficile spores in response to multiple environmental signals

This study identifies CspC as a bile salt sensor for C. difficile spore germination and shows it also responds to amino acid and calcium co-germinants through specific residues.