B. Al-Shayeb

Borg extrachromosomal elements of methane-oxidizing archaea have conserved and expressed genetic repertoires

The paper identifies conserved genetic repertoires in Borg extrachromosomal elements of methane-oxidizing archaea and shows their higher expression than host genes.

Genome expansion by a CRISPR trimmer-integrase

The paper identifies a CRISPR trimmer-integrase that processes DNA for integration in the absence of Cas4, using cryo-EM structures to show its mechanism.

Genome editing in plants using the compact editor Cas{Phi}

This paper demonstrates that the hypercompact Cas{Phi} nuclease can generate heritable gene edits in Arabidopsis with high specificity and efficiency, and shows that its performance is influenced by chromatin environment and temperature.

Stop codon recoding is widespread in diverse phage lineages and has the potential to regulate translation of late stage and lytic genes

The paper surveys stop codon recoding in bacteriophages, finding it widespread and suggesting it regulates gene expression and lysis timing.

The Chloroflexi supergroup is metabolically diverse and representatives have novel genes for non-photosynthesis based CO2 fixation

This study investigates the metabolic diversity of the Chloroflexi supergroup, revealing novel genes for non-photosynthesis based CO2 fixation and diverse metabolic capabilities across related phyla.

Borgs are giant extrachromosomal elements with the potential to augment methane oxidation

The paper identifies Borgs, large extrachromosomal elements in Methanoperedens archaea, which enhance methane oxidation capacity and may influence greenhouse gas emissions.

A widely distributed genus of soil Acidobacteria genomically enriched in biosynthetic gene clusters

The paper expands genomic sampling of Ca. Angelobacter, showing they are common in soil communities and enriched in biosynthetic gene clusters for specialized metabolites.

Structural coordination between active sites of a Cas6-reverse transcriptase-Cas1--Cas2 CRISPR integrase complex

The paper determines the cryo-EM structure of a Cas6-RT-Cas1-Cas2 complex and shows bidirectional and unidirectional crosstalk between its active sites.

Clades of huge phage from across Earth’s ecosystems

The paper identifies major clades of large phage genomes across diverse ecosystems and highlights their expanded genetic repertoires and potential functional roles.

Candidate Phyla Radiation Roizmanbacteria from hot springs have novel, unexpectedly abundant, and potentially alternatively functioning CRISPR-Cas systems

The paper identifies novel CRISPR-Cas systems in Roizmanbacteria from hot springs, including CasY and type I-B/III-A systems, and reports phage genomes associated with these systems.