J. L. Baker

An efficient in vivo-inducible CRISPR interference system for group A Streptococcus genetic analysis and pathogenesis studies

This paper develops a doxycycline-inducible CRISPRi system for GAS to enable efficient gene repression and presents a genome browser for GAS genetic features.

Persistent enrichment of multidrug resistant Klebsiella in oral and nasal communities during long-term starvation

This study shows that Klebsiella outcompetes other microbes in oral and nasal communities during starvation, contributing to its persistence and potential pathogenicity.

Using nanopore sequencing to obtain complete genomes from saliva samples

This study uses nanopore and Illumina sequencing to assemble complete bacterial genomes from human saliva, revealing new insights into oral microbiota composition and function.

mucG, mucH,and mucI modulate production of mutanocyclin and reutericyclins in Streptococcus mutans B04Sm5

This study examines the roles of mucG, mucH, and mucI in regulating reutericyclin and mutanocyclin production in S. mutans, showing their impact on growth inhibition of neighboring Streptococci.

Unveiling molecular interactions that stabilize bacterial adhesion pili

This study investigates the biophysical function and structural interactions of P pili from uropathogenic bacteria, revealing how subunit interactions and the N-terminal staple region stabilize the helical filament structure.

Analysis of the Streptococcus mutans proteome during acid and oxidative stress reveals modules of co-expression and an expanded role for the TreR transcriptional regulator

This study analyzes the S. mutans proteome under acid and oxidative stress, identifying co-expressed protein modules and revealing TreR's role in mutacin and mutanobactin regulation.

Complete genomes of clade G6 Saccharibacteria suggest a divergent ecological niche and lifestyle

This study reports three complete genome sequences of clade G6 Saccharibacteria, revealing significant divergence from clade G1 in genome size, GC-content, and metabolic pathways, suggesting a distinct ecological niche and lifestyle.

Impact of an alpha helix and a cysteine-cysteine disulfide bond on the resistance of bacterial adhesion pili to stress

This study investigates structural and biophysical differences in bacterial adhesion pili from urinary and intestinal pathogens, finding that disulfide bonds and alpha helices enhance resistance to stress in urinary tract bacteria.

Characterization of structural and energetic differences between conformations of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

The paper characterizes structural and energetic differences in SARS-CoV-2 spike protein conformations to identify potential drug targets beyond the ACE2-binding RBD.

Deep metagenomics examines the oral microbiome during dental caries, revealing novel taxa and co-occurrences with host molecules

This study uses deep metagenomics to analyze the oral microbiome in children with and without dental caries, identifying novel taxa and host-microbe interactions.

Identification of the bacterial biosynthetic gene clusters of the oral microbiome illuminates the unexplored social language of bacteria during health and disease

This study identifies 4,915 bacterial biosynthetic gene clusters in the oral microbiome and finds differential representation of BGCs in health versus disease states like dental caries and periodontitis.