Publication Highlights

2026

Strysko J, Hu W, Mochankana K, John-Thubuka J, Zankere T, Gopolang B, Theiller E, Jones SM, Tembo CV, Ntereke TD, Gatonye T, Lechiile K, Keatholetswe T, Bianco C, Coffin SE, McGann C, Bittinger K, Lautenbach E, Mannathoko N, Mokomane M, Mosepele M, Richard-Greenblatt M, Nakstad B, Goldfarb DM, Planet PJ, Moustafa AM. Integrated epidemiologic investigation and genomic confirmation of a Klebsiella pneumoniae neonatal sepsis outbreak in Botswana. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2026 Jun 15;6(6):e0006468. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0006468. PMID: 42296129; PMCID: PMC13268195.

She Q, Srinivasan L, Theiller E, Galis BE, Napper T, Feder A, Arvanitis A, Jones SM, Hayes E, Puopolo KM, Baldassano RN, David MZ, Coffin SE, Gibbs KA, Potter RF, Smith KP, Harris RM, Zackular JP, Moustafa AM, Planet PJ. Rapid dissemination of Staphylococcus aureus in the neonatal intensive care unit is associated with invasive infection. Nat Commun. 2026 Feb 9;17(1):2550. doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-69074-z. PMID: 41663361; PMCID: PMC13000299.

Theiller E, Rajagopal S, Higgins S, Torres DI, Napper T, Galis BE, Dash A, Qian E, Hamlette L, She Q, Tanes C, L'Etoile N, Feder A, Viana AS, Côrtes Esteves MA, Abt MC, Coffin SE, Hayes E, Potter RF, Zackular JP, Srinivasan L, Figueiredo AMS, Planet PJ, Moustafa AM. Empowering global disease surveillance with CURED: a tool for rapid identification of unique genomic biomarkers. mSystems. 2026 Apr 21;11(4):e0106325. doi: 10.1128/msystems.01063-25. Epub 2026 Mar 19. PMID: 41854250; PMCID: PMC13098284.

Strysko J, Thela T, Feder A, Thubuka J, Machiya T, Mkubwa J, Mochankana K, Tiroyakgosi C, Kgomanyane K, Ntereke TD, Zankere T, Lechiile K, Gatonye T, Tembo CV, Vurayai M, Mannathoko N, Mokomane M, Moustafa AM, Goldfarb DM, Richard-Greenblatt M, McGann C, Coffin SE, Nakstad B, Cancedda C, Lautenbach E, Bogoshi D, Smith AM, Planet PJ. Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii at a hospital in Botswana: detecting a protracted outbreak using whole genome sequencing. Microbiol Spectr. 2026 Jan 6;14(1):e0176825. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.01768-25. Epub 2025 Nov 17. PMID: 41247047; PMCID: PMC12772292.

2025

St Cyr G, Ray D, Planet PJ. Pyometrocolpos: A Case Series and Proposed Management Framework for the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Consultant. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2026 May 1;45(5):e177-e179. doi: 10.1097/INF.0000000000005110. Epub 2025 Dec 22. PMID: 41423767.

Lubin JB, Planet PJ, Silverman MA. Microbial succession at weaning is guided by microbial metabolism of host glycans. Microbiome. 2025 Oct 28;13(1):218. doi: 10.1186/s40168-025-02193-9. PMID: 41152947; PMCID: PMC12570417.

West SR, Adekoya AE, Arriaga SK, Rajagopal S, Varriale SL, Planet PJ, Ibberson CB. Genomic analysis of eight clinical Rothia isolates. Microbiol Resour Announc. 2025 Sep 11;14(9):e0015325. doi: 10.1128/mra.00153-25. Epub 2025 Aug 13. PMID: 40801368; PMCID: PMC12424362.

Sun Y, Hu B, Chhabra S, Tolentino J, Suzuki N, Natarajan J, Harris Z, Stanley G, Bianco C, Planet P, Sherchand SP, Adhikari R, Aman J, Zhang X, Koff J, Rajagopalan G. Prevalence, Production and the Role of Staphylococcus aureus Superantigens in Cystic Fibrosis Lung Disease. bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2025 May 12:2025.05.07.652658. doi: 10.1101/2025.05.07.652658. PMID: 40654878; PMCID: PMC12248047.

2024

Fischer AJ, Planet PJ. A birth cohort approach to understanding cystic fibrosis lung infections. J Cyst Fibros. 2024 Jan;23(1):8-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jcf.2023.10.014. Epub 2023 Nov 10. PMID: 37949746.

Lubin JB, Silverman MA, Planet PJ. Comparison of gnotobiotic communities reveals milk-adapted metabolic functions and unexpected amino acid metabolism by the pre-weaning microbiome. Gut Microbes. 2024 Jan-Dec;16(1):2387875. doi: 10.1080/19490976.2024.2387875. Epub 2024 Aug 12. PMID: 39133869; PMCID: PMC11321411.

2023

Morreale DP, St Geme Iii JW, Planet PJ. Phylogenomic analysis of the understudied Neisseriaceae species reveals a poly- and paraphyletic Kingella genus. Microbiol Spectr. 2023 Dec 12;11(6):e0312323. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.03123-23. Epub 2023 Oct 26. PMID: 37882538; PMCID: PMC10715097.

Morreale DP, Porsch EA, Kern BK, St Geme JW 3rd, Planet PJ. Acquisition, co-option, and duplication of the rtx toxin system and the emergence of virulence in Kingella. Nat Commun. 2023 Jul 17;14(1):4281. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-39939-8. PMID: 37460464; PMCID: PMC10352306.

Bolden N, Mell JC, Logan JB, Planet PJ. Phylogenomics of nontuberculous mycobacteria respiratory infections in people with cystic fibrosis. Paediatr Respir Rev. 2023 Jun;46:63-70. doi: 10.1016/j.prrv.2023.02.001. Epub 2023 Feb 10. PMID: 36828670; PMCID: PMC10659050.

Bianco CM, Moustafa AM, O'Brien K, Martin MA, Read TD, Kreiswirth BN, Planet PJ. Pre-epidemic evolution of the MRSA USA300 clade and a molecular key for classification. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2023 Jan 24;13:1081070. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1081070. PMID: 36761897; PMCID: PMC9902376.

2021

Moustafa AM, Planet PJ. Jumping a Moving Train: SARS-CoV-2 Evolution in Real Time. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2021 Dec 24;10(Supplement_4):S96-S105. doi: 10.1093/jpids/piab051. PMID: 34370041; PMCID: PMC8385893.

Moustafa AM, Bianco C, Denu L, Ahmed A, Coffin SE, Neide B, Everett J, Reddy S, Rabut E, Deseignora J, Feldman MD, Rodino KG, Bushman F, Harris RM, Chang Mell J, Planet PJ. Comparative Analysis of Emerging B.1.1.7+E484K SARS-CoV-2 Isolates. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Jun 4;8(7):ofab300. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofab300. PMID: 34254040; PMCID: PMC8244812.

Moustafa AM, Lal A, Planet PJ. Comparative genomics in infectious disease. Curr Opin Microbiol. 2020 Feb;53:61-70. doi: 10.1016/j.mib.2020.02.009. Epub 2020 Apr 2. PMID: 32248056; PMCID: PMC10278558.

Moustafa AM, Velusamy SK, Denu L, Narechania A, Fine DH, Planet PJ. Adaptation by Ancient Horizontal Acquisition of Butyrate Metabolism Genes in Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. mBio. 2021 Mar 23;12(2):e03581-20. doi: 10.1128/mBio.03581-20. PMID: 33758084; PMCID: PMC8092312.

2020

Moustafa AM, Planet PJ. WhatsGNU: a tool for identifying proteomic novelty. Genome Biol. 2020 Mar 5;21(1):58. doi: 10.1186/s13059-020-01965-w. PMID: 32138767; PMCID: PMC7059281.

2019

Planet PJ, Parker D, Ruff NL, Shinefield HR. Revisiting Bacterial Interference in the Age of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: Insights Into Staphylococcus aureus Carriage, Pathogenicity and Potential Control. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2019 Sep;38(9):958-966. doi: 10.1097/INF.0000000000002411. PMID: 31274832; PMCID: PMC6692185.

Additional Publications