B. J. Baker

Genetic elements and defense systems drive diversification and evolution in Asgard archaea

This study identifies mobile genetic elements and defense systems in Asgard archaea, revealing their role in shaping genetic diversity and evolution.

Bacterial ecology and evolution converge on seasonal and decadal scales

The paper analyzes a two-decade freshwater lake metagenome dataset to show that ecological and evolutionary processes in microbial communities operate on seasonal and decadal scales.

S1 hydrophobic residues modulate voltage sensing phosphatase enzymatic function and voltage sensing

This study shows that S1 hydrophobic residues in voltage sensing phosphatase (VSP) modulate voltage sensing and enzymatic activity by altering voltage dependence and kinetics.

Asgard archaea modulate potential methanogenesis substrates in wetland soil

The paper reconstructs genomes of soil-associated Asgard archaea and uses metatranscriptomics to show their role in carbon compound metabolism relevant to methane production in wetlands.

Phylogenomics and ancestral reconstruction of Korarchaeota reveals genomic adaptation to habitat switching

This study analyzes five new Korarchaeota metagenome-assembled genomes to reveal their phylogenomic position and genomic adaptations to habitat switching.

Asgard archaea defense systems and their roles in the origin of immunity in eukaryotes

This study identifies defense systems in Asgard archaea, showing their role in the origin of eukaryotic immunity and potential biomedical applications.

Inference and reconstruction of the heimdallarchaeial ancestry of eukaryotes

The paper reconstructs the evolutionary ancestry of eukaryotes by analyzing Asgard archaea phylogenetic data and infers the last common ancestor of Asgard archaea and eukaryotes as a thermophilic chemolithotroph.

Autotrophic biofilms sustained by deeply-sourced groundwater host diverse CPR bacteria implicated in sulfur and hydrogen metabolism

The paper identifies CPR bacteria in sulfide-rich biofilms, linking them to sulfur and hydrogen metabolism through genomic and spectroscopic analyses.

Unique viruses that infect Archaea related to eukaryotes

The paper characterizes seven viral genomes infecting Asgard archaea, revealing features of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic viruses.

Phenogenomic characterization of a newly domesticated and novel species from the genus Verrucosispora

This study domesticates a novel marine Actinomycetes species, revealing genomic changes linked to growth, metabolism, and antibiotic potential during cultivation.

Discovery of an Antarctic ascidian-associated uncultivated Verrucomicrobia with antimelanoma palmerolide biosynthetic potential

This paper identifies a novel Verrucomicrobia bacterium associated with the Antarctic ascidian Synoicum adareanum that produces the antimelanoma compound palmerolide A.

Bioinformatic and mechanistic analysis of the palmerolide PKS-NRPS biosynthetic pathway from the microbiome of an Antarctic ascidian

The paper identifies and characterizes a palmerolide biosynthetic gene cluster from the Antarctic ascidian microbiome, revealing its structure and potential for producing related compounds.

Protein family content uncovers lineage relationships and bacterial pathway maintenance mechanisms in DPANN archaea

The paper uses protein family content to analyze lineage relationships and pathway maintenance mechanisms in DPANN archaea, revealing metabolic and symbiotic traits.

Proton wires mediate the optical signal for ArcLight-type Genetically Encoded Voltage Indicators

This paper investigates how proton wires in ArcLight-type GEVIs mediate voltage-dependent optical signals through electrostatic interactions and shows that excitation wavelength affects the polarity and kinetics of the response.

Uncovering the core microbiome and distributions of palmerolide in Synoicum adareanum across the Anvers Island archipelago, Antarctica

This study examines the microbiome of Synoicum adareanum across Anvers Island, finding a core microbiome associated with palmerolide A production.

Kinetics and identities of extracellular peptidases in subsurface sediments of the White Oak River Estuary, NC

The paper measures extracellular peptidase kinetics and identifies peptidase classes in anoxic estuarine sediments, showing adaptation to degraded organic matter.

New Asgard archaea capable of anaerobic hydrocarbon cycling

The paper identifies a new archaeal phylum, Helarchaeota, capable of anaerobic hydrocarbon oxidation, based on genomic analysis of deep-sea sediment metagenomes.

Complex evolutionary history of translation Elongation Factor 2 and diphthamide biosynthesis in Archaea and parabasalids

The paper investigates the evolutionary history of diphthamide biosynthesis and EF-2 in archaea and parabasalids, revealing multiple losses of diphthamide production and functional divergence in EF-2.

Metabolic roles of uncultivated bacterioplankton lineages in the northern Gulf of Mexico "Dead Zone"

This study identifies metabolic roles of uncultivated bacterioplankton in the Gulf of Mexico dead zone using metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analysis.