2026
Journal - Research Article
Meulenberg, A., Pavez, M., Gowing, E. K., Mayo-Muñoz, D., Birkholz, N., Suhono, G., Fineran, P. C., Fagerlund, R. D., & Gumy, L. F. (2026). Comparison of CRISPR-Cas-based knockdown of endogenous mRNA in sensory neurons. CRISPR Journal. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/25731599261489437
Feussner, M., Birkholz, N., Lee, S. Y., Beisel, C. L., Park, H. H., Brown, C. M., Fineran, P. C., & Weinberg, Z. (2026). An expanded realm of anti-CRISPR-associated proteins and regulatory mechanisms. Nucleic Acids Research, 54(17), gkag862. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkag862
2025
Journal - Research Article
Lee, S. Y., Birkholz, N., Lee, J. H., Fineran, P. C., & Park, H. H. (2025). Regulation of anti-CRISPR operons by structurally distinct families of Aca proteins. Communications Biology, 8, 1698. doi: 10.1038/s42003-025-09101-9
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Birkholz, N. (2025, February). Bacteria and their enemies: A toolbox for our fight against pathogens? Verbal presentation at the Maurice Wilkins Centre (MWC) Research Symposium, Auckland, New Zealand.
2024
Journal - Research Article
Kamata, K., Birkholz, N., Ceelen, M., Fagerlund, R. D., Jackson, S. A., & Fineran, P. C. (2024). Repurposing an endogenous CRISPR-Cas system to generate and study subtle mutations in bacteriophages. CRISPR Journal, 7(6), 343-354. doi: 10.1089/crispr.2024.0047
Birkholz, N., Kamata, K., Feussner, M., Wilkinson, M. E., Samaniego, C. C., Migur, A., … Ceelen, M., … Fagerlund, R. D., Jackson, S. A., & Fineran, P. C. (2024). Phage anti-CRISPR control by an RNA- and DNA-binding helix-turn-helix protein. Nature, 631, 670-677. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07644-1
Mayo-Muñoz, D., Pinilla-Redondo, R., Camara-Wilpert, S., Birkholz, N., & Fineran, P. C. (2024). Inhibitors of bacterial immune systems: Discovery, mechanisms and applications. Nature Reviews Genetics, 25, 237-254. doi: 10.1038/s41576-023-00676-9
Journal - Research Other
Birkholz, N., & Fineran, P. C. (2024). Anti-CRISPRs deconstruct bacterial defense [Spotlight]. Molecular Cell, 84, 3172-3174. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.08.008
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Birkholz, N., Kamata, K., Feußner, M., Wilkinson, M. E., Samaniego, C. C., Migur, A., … Ceelen, M., … Brown, C. M., … Fagerlund, R. D., Jackson, S. A., & Fineran, P. C. (2024). Phage helix-turn-helix proteins bind RNA and DNA to control anti-CRISPR dynamics. Viruses of Microbes (VoM) Scientific Conference. Retrieved from https://www.vom2024.org/
Kamata, K., Celeen, M., Birkholz, N., Fagerlund, R., Jackson, S., & Fineran, P. (2024). CRISPR-based bacteriophage engineering reveals essentiality of anti-CRISPR-associated gene. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 300(3, Suppl.), 1335. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.105832
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Birkholz, N. (2024, September). Phage anti-CRISPR control by a DNA- and RNA-binding helix–turn–helix protein. Verbal presentation at the Biomolecular Horizons Congress: Discover Create Innovate, Melbourne, Australia.
Fineran, P., & Birkholz, N. (2024, July). Phage counter-defence strategies and their regulation. Invited presentation at the Viruses of Microbes (VoM) Scientific Conference, Cairns, Australia.
2023
Journal - Research Other
Mayo-Muñoz, D., Pinilla-Redondo, R., Birkholz, N., & Fineran, P. C. (2023). A host of armor: Prokaryotic immune strategies against mobile genetic elements. Cell Reports, 42(7), 112672. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112672
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Birkholz, N., de Roode, S., Kamata, K., Fagerlund, R. D., Jackson, S. A., & Fineran, P. C. (2023, August-September). Bacteria and their enemies: An armoury for Aotearoa's bioprotection battle? Verbal presentation at the He taonga tuku iho: Queenstown Molecular Biology (QMB) Bioprotection Aotearoa Satellite, Queenstown, New Zealand.
2022
Journal - Research Article
Kim, G. E., Lee, S. Y., Birkholz, N., Kamata, K., Jeong, J.-H., Kim, Y.-G., Fineran, P. C., & Park, H. H. (2022). Molecular basis of dual anti-CRISPR and auto-regulatory functions of AcrIF24. Nucleic Acids Research, 50(19), 11344-11358. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkac880
Shehreen, S., Birkholz, N., Fineran, P. C., & Brown, C. M. (2022). Widespread repression of anti-CRISPR production by anti-CRISPR-associated proteins. Nucleic Acids Research, 50(15), 8615-8625. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkac674
Lee, S. Y., Birkholz, N., Fineran, P. C., & Park, H. H. (2022). Molecular basis of anti-CRISPR operon repression by Aca10. Nucleic Acids Research, 50(15), 8919-8928. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkac656
Birkholz, N., Jackson, S. A., Fagerlund, R. D., & Fineran, P. C. (2022). A mobile restriction-modification system provides phage defence and resolves an epigenetic conflict with an antagonistic endonuclease. Nucleic Acids Research, 50(6), 3348-3361. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkac147
Journal - Research Other
Birkholz, N., & Fineran, P. C. (2022). Turning down the (C)BASS: Phage-encoded inhibitors jam bacterial immune signaling. Molecular Cell, 82(12), 2185-2187. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.05.030
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Birkholz, N., Jackson, S. A., Fagerlund, R. D., & Fineran, P. C. (2022). A mobile restriction-modification phage defence system resolves an epigenetic conflict with an antagonistic endonuclease. Proceedings of the Genetics Otago (GO) Annual Symposium. Retrieved from https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/go
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Birkholz, N., Fagerlund, R. D., Jackson, S. A., & Fineran, P. C. (2022, August). Insights into anti-CRISPR control by the autoregulator Aca2. Verbal presentation at the CRISPR Technologies Satellite Meeting: Queenstown Research Week, Queenstown, New Zealand.
2021
Journal - Research Article
Usher, B., Birkholz, N., Beck, I. N., Fagerlund, R. D., Jackson, S. A., Fineran, P. C., & Blower, T. R. (2021). Crystal structure of the anti-CRISPR repressor Aca2. Journal of Structural Biology, 213, 107752. doi: 10.1016/j.jsb.2021.107752
Journal - Research Other
Malone, L. M., Birkholz, N., & Fineran, P. C. (2021). Conquering CRISPR: How phages overcome bacterial adaptive immunity. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 68, 30-36. doi: 10.1016/j.copbio.2020.09.008
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Kamata, K., Celeen, M., Birkholz, N., Fagerlund, R. D., Jackson, S. A., & Fineran, P. C. (2021). Studying biological roles of anti-CRISPR control through phage engineering. Proceedings of the 16th Congress of the Federation of Asian & Oceanic Biochemists & Molecular Biologists (FAOBMB). (pp. 263). Retrieved from https://www.faobmb2021.org
Birkholz, N., Jackson, S. A., Fagerlund, R. D., & Fineran, P. C. (2021). A methyltransferase involved in bacterial defence and intracellular conflict between restriction endonucleases. Proceedings of the 16th Congress of the Federation of Asian & Oceanic Biochemists & Molecular Biologists (FAOBMB). (pp. 119). Retrieved from https://www.faobmb2021.org
2019
Journal - Research Article
Birkholz, N., Fagerlund, R. D., Smith, L. M., Jackson, S. A., & Fineran, P. C. (2019). The autoregulator Aca2 mediates anti-CRISPR repression. Nucleic Acids Research, 47(18), 9658-9665. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkz721
Jackson, S. A., Birkholz, N., Malone, L. M., & Fineran, P. C. (2019). Imprecise spacer acquisition generates CRISPR-Cas immune diversity through primed adaptation. Cell Host & Microbe, 25, 250-260. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2018.12.014
2018
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Jackson, S. A., Birkholz, N., Malone, L. M., & Fineran, P. C. (2018). Imprecise spacer acquisition generates CRISPR-Cas immune diversity through primed adaptation. Proceedings of the New Zealand Microbiological Society (NZMS) New Zealand Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (NZSBMB) Joint Annual Conference: Microbes & Molecules. (pp. 56). Retrieved from https://www.nzmsconference.org.nz
Birkholz, N., Jackson, S. A., Fagerlund, R. D., Smith, L. M., & Fineran, P. C. (2018). Transcriptional regulation by the anti-CRISPR-associated protein Aca2. Proceedings of the New Zealand Microbiological Society (NZMS) New Zealand Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (NZSBMB) Joint Annual Conference: Microbes & Molecules. (pp. 45-46). Retrieved from https://www.nzmsconference.org.nz
2017
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Jackson, S. A., Birkholz, N., Taylor, C., & Fineran, P. C. (2017). Imprecision during spacer acquisition by type I CRISPR-Cas systems increases CRISPR diversity in bacterial populations. Proceedings of the 22nd Biennial Evergreen Bacteriophage Conference. (pp. 140). Retrieved from http://blogs.evergreen.edu/phage/about/meetings/2017-evergreen-meeting
Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)
Birkholz, N., Jackson, S. A., Taylor, C., & Fineran, P. C. (2017, September). Imprecision during spacer acquisition by type I CRISPR-Cas systems increases CRISPR diversity in bacterial populations. Poster session presented at the Queenstown Molecular Biology (QMB) Meetings, Queenstown, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Jackson, S. A., Birkholz, N., Taylor, C., & Fineran, P. C. (2017, September). The arms race between bacterial CRISPR-Cas adaptive immune systems, phages and mobile genetic elements. Verbal presentation at the Queenstown Molecular Biology (QMB) Meetings, Queenstown, New Zealand.
