Tim Miyashiro
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
-
410 Frear South
University Park, PA - tim14@psu.edu
- 814-865-1916
Research Summary
How bacteria adapt to a host environment. The mutualistic symbiosis established between the Hawaiian bobtail squid (Euprymna scolopes) and a bioluminescent bacterium (Vibrio fischeri).
Huck Graduate Students
Huck Affiliations
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences
- One Health Microbiome Center
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics
- Center for Chemical Ecology
Links
Most Recent Publications
Ecologically expanding the One Health framework to unify the microbiome sciences
Nichole Ginnan, Sharifa G. Crandall, Madangchanok Imchen, Francisco Dini-Andreote, Tim I. Miyashiro, Vishal Singh, Erika Ganda, Seth R. Bordenstein, 2025, mBio
A case study assessing the impact of mating frequency on the reproductive performance of the Hawaiian bobtail squid Euprymna scolopes
Andrew G. Cecere, Rachel A. Cook, Tim I. Miyashiro, 2023, Laboratory Animal Research
Quorum sensing inhibits interference competition among bacterial symbionts within a host
Kirsten R. Guckes, Taylor A. Yount, Caroline H. Steingard, Tim I. Miyashiro, 2023, Current Biology on p. 4244-4251.e4
Inhibition of biofilm formation by a lipopolysaccharide-associated glycosyltransferase in the bacterial symbiont Vibrio fischeri
Edward Provencher, Molly Ehrig, Andrew Cecere, Shyan Cousins, Michael Maybin, Timothy Meredith, Tim Miyashiro, 2023, Frontiers in Bacteriology
Quantification of the capacity of vibrio fischeri to establish symbiosis with Euprymna scolopes
Aidan R. Donnelly, Elizabeth J. Giacobe, Rachel A. Cook, Gareth M. Francis, Grace K. Buddle, Christina L. Beaubrun, Andrew G. Cecere, Tim I. Miyashiro, 2023, PLoS One
Two enhancer binding proteins activate σ<sup>54</sup>-dependent transcription of a quorum regulatory RNA in a bacterial symbiont
Ericka D. Surrett, Kirsten R. Guckes, Shyan Cousins, Terry B. Ruskoski, Andrew G. Cecere, Denise A. Ludvik, C. Denise Okafor, Mark J. Mandel, Tim I. Miyashiro, 2023, eLife
The type-VI secretion system of the beneficial symbiont Vibrio fischeri
Kirsten R. Guckes, Tim I. Miyashiro, 2023, Journal of General Microbiology
Erratum: The type-VI secretion system of the beneficial symbiont Vibrio fischeri (Microbiology 2023;169, 2, 001302, 10.1099/mic.0.001302)
Kirsten R. Guckes, Tim I. Miyashiro, 2023, Journal of General Microbiology
Impact of transit time on the reproductive capacity of Euprymna scolopes as a laboratory animal
Andrew G. Cecere, Tim I. Miyashiro, 2022, Laboratory Animal Research
Quorum Sensing Facilitates Interpopulation Signaling by Vibrio fischeri within the Light Organ of Euprymna scolopes
Taylor A. Yount, Andrew N. Murtha, Andrew G. Cecere, Tim I. Miyashiro, 2022, Israel Journal of Chemistry
Most-Cited Papers
Bacterial symbionts use a type VI secretion system to eliminate competitors in their natural host
Lauren Speare, Andrew G. Cecere, Kirsten R. Guckes, Stephanie Smith, Michael S. Wollenberg, Mark J. Mandel, Tim Miyashiro, Alecia N. Septer, 2018, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America on p. E8528-E8537
Intraspecific competition impacts Vibrio fischeri strain diversity during initial colonization of the squid light organ
Yan Sun, Elijah D. LaSota, Andrew G. Cecere, Kyle B. LaPenna, Jessie Larios-Valencia, Michael S. Wollenberg, Tim Miyashiro, 2016, Applied and Environmental Microbiology on p. 3082-3091
Sulfur availability for Vibrio fischeri growth during symbiosis establishment depends on biogeography within the squid light organ
Nathan P. Wasilko, Jessie Larios-Valencia, Caroline H. Steingard, Briana M. Nunez, Subhash C. Verma, Tim Miyashiro, 2019, Molecular Microbiology on p. 621-636
Incompatibility of vibrio fischeri strains during symbiosis establishment depends on two functionally redundant hcp genes
Kirsten R. Guckes, Andrew G. Cecere, Nathan P. Wasilko, Amanda L. Williams, Katherine M. Bultman, Mark J. Mandel, Tim Miyashiro, 2019, Journal of Bacteriology
Niche-specific impact of a symbiotic function on the persistence of microbial symbionts within a natural host
Subhash C. Verma, Tim Miyashiro, 2016, Applied and Environmental Microbiology on p. 5990-5996
The bacterial enhancer binding protein vasH promotes expression of a type vi secretion system in vibrio fischeri during symbiosis
Kirsten R. Guckes, Andrew G. Cecere, Amanda L. Williams, Anjali E. McNeil, Tim Miyashiro, 2020, Journal of Bacteriology
NagC represses N-acetyl-glucosamine utilization genes in Vibrio fischeri within the light organ of Euprymna scolopes
Yan Sun, Subhash C. Verma, Haikel Bogale, Tim Miyashiro, 2015, Frontiers in Microbiology
Draft genome sequences of type VI secretion system-encoding vibrio fischeri strains FQ-A001 and ES401
Katherine M. Bultman, Andrew G. Cecere, Tim Miyashiro, Alecia N. Septer, Mark J. Mandel, 2019, Genome Announcements
Impact of transit time on the reproductive capacity of Euprymna scolopes as a laboratory animal
Andrew G. Cecere, Tim I. Miyashiro, 2022, Laboratory Animal Research
The type-VI secretion system of the beneficial symbiont Vibrio fischeri
Kirsten R. Guckes, Tim I. Miyashiro, 2023, Journal of General Microbiology
News Articles Featuring Tim Miyashiro
Jun 10, 2025
Q&A: Unifying the microbiome sciences for global health and sustainability
Recently, members of Penn State's One Health Microbiome Center published an article in the American Society for Microbiology’s flagship journal, mBio. In this Q&A, a few of the paper’s authors discussed how the center is leading the charge to breakdown traditional disciplinary silos and expand the One Health focus to include more than just pathogenic microbial threats.
Full Article
Jul 14, 2023
Bioluminescent bacteria coordinate signaling to colonize squid’s light organ
Bioluminescent bacteria and the Hawaiian bobtail squid have formed a longstanding mutually beneficial relationship.
Full Article
Mar 06, 2020
Gene regulatory factors enable bacteria to kill rivals and establish symbiosis
Two factors that control the expression of a key gene required by luminescent bacteria to kill competing bacterial cells have been identified. The finding, by researchers at Penn State, sheds light on the molecular mechanisms that enable different strains of bacteria to compete and establish symbiosis in the Hawaiian bobtail squid.
Full Article