Amazing structural diversity of giant virus-like particles in forest soil

Large DNA viruses of the phylum Nucleocytoviricota infect diverse eukaryotic hosts from protists to humans, with profound consequences for aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

Type IV-A3 CRISPR-Cas systems drive inter-plasmid conflicts by acquiring spacers in trans

Type IV-A CRISPR-Cas systems are primarily encoded on plasmids and form multi-subunit ribonucleoprotein complexes with unknown biological functions.

Accounting for 16S rRNA copy number prediction uncertainty and its implications in bacterial diversity analyses - ISME Communications

ISME Communications - Accounting for 16S rRNA copy number prediction uncertainty and its implications in bacterial diversity analyses

High speciation rate of niche specialists in hot springs - The ISME Journal

The ISME Journal - High speciation rate of niche specialists in hot springs

A Timeline of Bacterial and Archaeal Diversification in the Ocean

Distribution and diversity of ‘Tectomicrobia’, a deep-branching uncultivated bacterial lineage harboring rich producers of bioactive metabolites - ISME Communications

ISME Communications - Distribution and diversity of ‘Tectomicrobia’, a deep-branching uncultivated bacterial lineage harboring rich producers of bioactive metabolites

Beyond pathogenesis: Detecting the full spectrum of ecological interactions in the virosphere

Viral interactions with their hosts are complex and can be beneficial, yet the public perception of viruses is generally negative.

Fight not flight: parasites drive the bacterial evolution of resistance, not avoidance

In the face of ubiquitous threats from parasites, hosts often evolve strategies to resist infection or to altogether avoid contact with parasites. At the microbial scale, bacteria frequently encounter viral parasites, bacteriophages.

Endless microbes most beautiful and most wonderful

Alternative stable states, nonlinear behavior, and predictability of microbiome dynamics - Microbiome

Background Microbiome dynamics are both crucial indicators and potential drivers of human health, agricultural output, and industrial bio-applications.

Linking prokaryotic genome size variation to metabolic potential and environment - ISME Communications

ISME Communications - Linking prokaryotic genome size variation to metabolic potential and environment

The methanogen core and pangenome: conservation and variability across biology’s growth temperature extremes

Abstract. Temperature is a key variable in biological processes. However, a complete understanding of biological temperature adaptation is lacking, in part beca

A field-wide assessment of differential expression profiling by high-throughput sequencing reveals widespread bias

A large-scale examination of differential RNA expression study datasets submitted to the NCBI GEO repository from 2008-2020 reveals widespread bias, as assessed by the distribution of p values and estimated proportions of true null hypotheses.

Scaling of Protein Function Across the Tree of Life

Scaling laws are a powerful way to compare genomes because they put all organisms onto a single curve and reveal non-trivial generalities as genomes change in size.

Bacterial aerobic methane cycling by the marine sponge-associated microbiome - Microbiome

Background Methanotrophy by the sponge-hosted microbiome has been mainly reported in the ecological context of deep-sea hydrocarbon seep niches where methane is either produced geothermically or via anaerobic methanogenic archaea inhabiting the sulfa…

The MksG nuclease is the executing part of the bacterial plasmid defense system MksBEFG

Abstract. Cells are continuously facing the risk of taking up foreign DNA that can compromise genomic integrity. Therefore, bacteria are in a constant arms race

Identification and characterization of thousands of bacteriophage satellites across bacteria

Abstract. Bacteriophage–bacteria interactions are affected by phage satellites, elements that exploit phages for transfer between bacteria. Satellites can encod

Marine Microbial Ecology and Biogeochemistry | Kranzler Lab at BIU | Ramat Gan

Marine microbial ecology and biogeochemistry at the Kranzler Lab at Bar Ilan University.

High-resolution metagenomic reconstruction of the freshwater spring bloom - Microbiome

Background The phytoplankton spring bloom in freshwater habitats is a complex, recurring, and dynamic ecological spectacle that unfolds at multiple biological scales.

Metagenomic mapping of cyanobacteria and potential cyanotoxin producing taxa in large rivers of the United States - Scientific Reports

Scientific Reports - Metagenomic mapping of cyanobacteria and potential cyanotoxin producing taxa in large rivers of the United States

Bacteriophages inhibit and evade cGAS-like immune function in bacteria

Bacteriophages antagonize cGAS-like bacterial immunity by sequestering immune signaling molecules and acquiring capsid gene mutations.

Molecular hydrogen in seawater supports growth of diverse marine bacteria - Nature Microbiology

Genome-resolved metagenomics, biogeochemistry, modelling and culture-based analysis reveal that marine bacteria consume H2 to support growth.

Archaeal DNA-import apparatus is homologous to bacterial conjugation machinery - Nature Communications

Bacteria can exchange DNA through extracellular appendages (‘mating pili’) in a process known as conjugation. Here, Beltran et al.

Microbial foods for improving human and planetary health - PubMed

The current food production system is negatively impacting planetary and human health. A transition to a sustainable and fair food system is urgently needed.

Viral infection switches the balance between bacterial and eukaryotic recyclers of organic matter during coccolithophore blooms - Nature Communications

Algal blooms are hotspots of marine primary production that play central roles in microbial ecology and global elemental cycling.

Bacterial lifestyle switch in response to algal metabolites

Opportunistic bacteria modulate their lifestyle from coexistence to pathogenicity by perceiving the physiological state of their algal host through sensing of algal secreted metabolites.

Post-doctoral Fellow

Job TitlePost-doctoral Fellow Agency Texas A&M Agrilife Research Department Institute for Advancing Health through Agriculture-Project Management Proposed Minimum SalaryCommensurate Job LocationFort Worth, Texas Job TypeStaff Job Description The Wong…

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Quantifying the local adaptive landscape of a nascent bacterial community - Nature Communications

Fitness landscapes largely shape the dynamics of evolution, but it is unclear how they shift upon ecological diversification. By engineering genome-wide knockout libraries of a nascent bacterial community, Ascensao et al.