Wiep Klaas Smits

[🔔] Publication alert! The CloDiCo trial is now published in @NatureComms @NaturePortfolio (Editor's choice!). This is the work of an amazing team, and led by PhD student Annefleur Hensen. Check out this thread [👇] for a summary of the study. nature.com/articles/s4146… 1/10

Look what arrived in the mail! @SpringerNature @AuchtungJ

Thanks to @BrittonTML for including us on this work! Acquisition of a gene cluster in Clostridioides difficile PCR ribotype 023 strains enables xylitol utilization | mSphere journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/ms…

ICDS 2026: see icds.si/programme-abst…

Full article: Genomic evolution and re-emergence of a multidrug-resistant Clostridioides difficile RT027 clone with reduced vancomycin susceptibility driving a prolonged hospital outbreak tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22…

Full article: The emergence and biological characteristics of linezolid-resistant Clostridioides difficile isolates in the Asia-Pacific region #abstract" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22…

Extended-pulsed fidaxomicin versus conventional dosing in patients at high risk of recurrence of Clostridioides difficile infection: a multicentre cohort study. sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Intestinal muscularis in health and disease nature.com/articles/s4200…

More in a thread on Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/smitsl…

[🚨] Publication alert! Years of hard work is now published in @PNASNews - It's not everyday that a novel biosynthetic intermediate is identified in bacteria, so check this out! pnas.org/doi/full/10.10…

Widespread immune systems protect bacteria against conjugative plasmids biorxiv.org/content/10.648…

A plasmid-encoded H-NS protein selectively binds its own plasmid biorxiv.org/content/10.648… CC @DameLab

Direct visualisation of post-replication gap formation at the bacterial RRS biorxiv.org/content/10.648…

3′ Exonuclease-mediated DNA assembly at room temperature and below biorxiv.org/content/10.648…

Thanks to our Department for highlighting our recent publication on their LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/posts/breakthr…

A deeper dive into the article we published last week in @Nature. I will start with the framing and methodology as they are key to understanding the surprising results: Proteomics experiments usually begin with an assumption. nature.com/articles/s4158… 1/

Genetic and pharmacological inactivation of peptidoglycan remodeling increases antibiotic susceptibility of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium | Nature Communications nature.com/articles/s4146…

The lab has been busy the last few months. We are happy to announce several recently published papers! Two methods in molecular biology from Duolong, Jason, and @AuchtungJ Lab: doi.org/10.1007/978-1-… & doi.org/10.1007/978-1-…

@JCampbellClarke "..evident that farm environments and animals play a considerable role in the spread of C. difficile. A lack of broad surveillance, incomplete data on CDIs, and the prevalence of C. difficile within RSA hinder an accurate representation of its zoonotic and foodborne potential."

@SmitsLab Can you post a summary?

Clostridioides difficile as a Zoonotic and Foodborne Pathogen: Reviewing the Global Evidence and South African Data onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/Z6KJUIZK…