January 10, 2026
Mellata’s team recently published an article titled "Host Genetics Regulate Bacterial Plasmid Conjugation Differentially in Avian Ceca Explant Co-Culture Through Secretory miRNA" in the Nature Portfolio journal (npj) - Antimicrobials & Resistance. Caleb Skow and Logan Ott are the co-first authors of this publication.
This study highlights how host genetics can influence the emergence of multidrug resistance in gut bacteria, specifically examining the role of avian small RNAs in the differential regulation of bacterial plasmid transfer.
Read the full article to learn more about this exciting work!
Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44259-025-00163-7