Staff Profile

Role

I am a postdoctoral research associate in the groups of Prof Tracy Palmer and Dr Elisabeth Lowe working on bacterial cell envelope structure biogenesis. I previously worked in Prof Bert van den Berg's group as a postdoctoral researcher (2019-2024). 

Research interests

I am a structural biologist interested in membrane transport processes in bacteria, especially members of the Bacteroidota phylum which are prominent human gut symbionts. The key techniques and topics of my research are:

• Single particle cryogenic electron microscopy
• X-ray crystallography
• Microbiology
• Membrane proteins
• Cell surface structure biogenesis
• Microbe-microbe interactions

Qualifications

2015-2019 - DPhil, University of Oxford

2011-2015 - BA (Hons) & MSci Natural Sciences, University of Cambridge

2020-2025 CMB1011 Professional and Practical Skills for Bioscientists, co-lead for the Genetic Transformation practical class.

• Articles

  • Silale A, Madej M, Mikruta K, Frey AM, Hart AJ, Basle A, Scavenius C, Enghild JJ, Trost M, Hirt RP, van den Berg B. Structure of a distinct β-barrel assembly machinery complex in the Bacteroidota. Nature Microbiology 2025, 10, 2845–2859.
  • Parr RJ, Santin YG, Ratkeviciute G, Caulton SG, Radford P, Gurvic D, Jenkins M, Doyle MT, Mead L, Silale A, van den Berg B, Knowles TJ, Sockett RE, Stansfeld PJ, Laloux G, Lovering AL. A porin-like protein used by bacterial predators defines a wider lipid-trapping superfamily. Nature Communications 2025, 16, 6213.
  • White JBR, Silale A, Feasey M, Heunis T, Zhu Y, Zheng H, Gajbhiye A, Firbank S, Baslé A, Trost M, Bolam DN, van den Berg B, Ranson NA. Outer membrane utilisomes mediate glycan uptake in gut Bacteroidetes. Nature 2023, 618(7965), 583-589.
  • Silale A, Zhu Y, Witwinowski J, Smith RE, Newman KE, Bhamidimarri SP, Basle A, Khalid S, Beloin C, Gribaldo S, van den Berg B. Dual function of OmpM as outer membrane tether and nutrient uptake channel in diderm Firmicutes. Nature Communications 2023, 14, 7152.
  • Abellon-Ruiz J, Jana K, Silale A, Frey AM, Baslé A, Trost M, Kleinekathöfer U, van den Berg B. BtuB TonB-dependent transporters and BtuG surface lipoproteins form stable complexes for vitamin B₁₂ uptake in gut Bacteroides. Nature Communications 2023, 14, 4714.
  • van den Berg B, Silale A, Baslé A, Brandner AF, Mader SL, Khalid S. Structural basis for host recognition and superinfection exclusion by bacteriophage T5. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022, 119(42), e2211672119.

• Review

  • Silale A, van den Berg B. TonB-Dependent Transport Across the Bacterial Outer Membrane. Annual Review of Microbiology 2023, 77, 67-88.