Krista Freeman

wow! So cool.

Wooo tried again at a different pharmacy last night and got it - and the flu jab, too. Glad it worked this time! Feeling relieved, if still angry that a repeat attempt was necessary. Nobody should have to jump through hoops to protect themselves and their community.

Well, I just was denied the COVID vaccine in Cleveland, Ohio. I can’t begin to express the rage I feel at being barred from protecting my vulnerable loved ones. My “senators” just got voicemails - I will keep calling until access to these safe and effective vaccines is restored. My body, my choice.

Join me in donating to ABRCMS. For many of us early in our careers (and for many of us now), this is THE conference. Let’s make sure future generations get the same experience.

I was told if each poster judge donated $25, their goal would be quickly met, but I think we can do better! 🙏🏾💪🏾

Together with leading science organizations, ASM filed an amicus brief calling for immediate restoration of NIH grants supporting early-career scientists. Read the press release: asm.org/press-releas...

Structure and infection dynamics of mycobacteriophage Bxb1 Cryo-EM and cryo-ET reveal the structural details and conformational dynamics of mycobacteriophage Bxb1 as it infects its Mycobacterium smegmatis host.

Now online! Structure and infection dynamics of mycobacteriophage Bxb1

#phage #phagesky

Some eye-catching #TeamTomo work here. Congrats to @kfreeman.bsky.social and all the authors! 🧪🧶🧬🔬

Krista Freeman et al 𝘊𝘌𝘓𝘓

stunning atomic-level imaging (Cryo-EM, cryo-ET) reveals how 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐠𝐞 Bxb1 reshapes its tail tip to breach the mycobacterial cell wall and deliver DNA to the cytoplasm

can inform precise targeted phage therapies for TB and NTM infections

www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

Thanks, Vivek! The biggest challenge now is deciding which phage to tackle next. Hope all is well!

It was a pleasure to collaborate with you all! Here’s to many more fun projects in the coming years 🥂

Host invasion by a mycobacteriophage—visualized in action! 🦠✨
Thrilled to have contributed to this exciting work! Great collaboration with the amazing Krista @kfreeman.bsky.social & Graham Hatfull lab. Huge thanks to the Park lab for this fantastic opportunity 🙌 #CryoEM #CryoET #phage #mycobacteria

Thanks :)
Structural biology is equal parts art and science, for sure!

Do you love phages? Other viruses? Cool science done by cool people? Check out this paper by my former bay mate @kfreeman.bsky.social and colleagues that sheds light on the cool molecular machines that are phage tails.

Huge thanks to our many collaborators, near and far, who helped push the science to the next level.

And, especially in these times, thank you to the NIH for funding this research and me as an early career scientist. It has made a world of difference in my life.

I delighted in every step of this project, from cesium-banding the phages to choosing a color scheme and polishing the figures. What a treat that I get to do this for the rest of my career!

Structure and infection dynamics of mycobacteriophage Bxb1 Mycobacteriophage Bxb1 is a well-characterized virus of Mycobacterium smegmatis with double-stranded DNA and a long, flexible tail. Mycobacteriophages…

Hurray, it is finally out! Meet bacteriophage Bxb1 - the subject of my first full-phage cryo-EM study. My structures are beautifully complemented by the Park Lab’s cryo-ET analysis, shedding light on mycobacteriophage structural changes during infection.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Evaluation of host immune responses to Mycobacteriophage Fionnbharth by route of delivery - Virology Journal For much of the last decade, tuberculosis (TB) was the leading cause of mortality due to an infectious pathogen (Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M.tb). Approximately 1.3 million deaths in 2023 worldwide w...

Excited about progress we are making to build a system for preclinical interrogation of #phages for #Tb

#TBSKY

virologyj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

Use of epigenetically modified bacteriophage and dual beta-lactams to treat a Mycobacterium abscessus sternal wound infection - PubMed Nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) infections are challenging to manage and are frequently non-responsive to aggressive but poorly-tolerated antibiotic therapies. Immunosuppressed lung transplant patients are susceptible to NTM infections and poor patient outcomes are common. Bacteriophages present …

Use of epigenetically modified bacteriophage and dual beta-lactams to treat a Mycobacterium abscessus sternal wound infection.

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54666-4

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39609405/

Come join us at CWRU Physics! We're hiring in Condensed Matter Experiment at assistant professor level. 🧪⚛️

case.edu/academic-car...

Thanks for making this starter pack, Joscelyn! Awesome to see so many MOSAIC scholars assembling here in the bluer skies. So happy to connect!

A cartoon of an enveloped icosahedral virus courtesy of NIH BioArt.

Yeah, I did indeed assume these were eukaryotic viruses… thanks for the nudge to look again! Phage diversity just blew my mind again!

Definitely hope to see some tailed phages represented soon too. Long & flexible, short & stubby, contractile… so much room for creativity!

Oooo maybe I missed them (I just searched “phage” in the search bar) - let me look again! Thanks!

LOVING the NIH BioArt effort! BUT… where are the phages?? Hoping to see some in the official release! Anyone know if there’s a mechanism to request additions?

#PhageSky

Thanks!

I, too, love phages and am eternally grateful that my autocorrect has learned that about me!

A smiling woman (me!) wearing a Case Western Reserve University hat and pointing to the “Physics” sign above the door of the CWRU Physics department’s building.

I’m pleased to share that I’ll be joining Case Western Reserve University as an Assistant Professor of Physics, starting July 2025! Looking forward to returning to my Physics roots while continuing to investigate the wonderful world of phages. :)

Whoops, meant to tag #phagesky

Graham Hatfull smiling and standing near balloons and a hand-drawn bacteriophage on a whiteboard. Photo credit Katie Wetzel.

Big congrats to Graham Hatfull on being elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences! I couldn’t ask for a better mentor. So glad to have had the opportunity to learn from him the last 7 (!) years!!

Buddy Fuzzybum, our lab mascot (a bacteriophage made from pipe cleaners, a disposable dropper, foil, and googly eyes), posing with the ABRCMS sign.

Me with the ABRCMS sign.

Some of the ASM MOSAIC scholars, mentors, and advisory board members at an ABRCMS reception.

Home from my first ever ABRCMS and feeling, in a word, uplifted! I hope to come back year after year to cultivate friendships, learn from mentors, and connect with the amazing next generation of diverse scientists.

Huge thanks to the ASM MOSAIC program for the warm welcome :)

PhamClust: a phage genome clustering tool using proteomic equivalence

@mSystemsJ Methods and Protocols from Graham Hatfull

journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...