C. J. Castelle

Variable impact of geochemical gradients on the functional potential of bacteria, archaea, and phages from the permanently stratified Lac Pavin

The paper examines how geochemical gradients affect the functional potential of microbes in Lac Pavin, finding that CPR bacteria and phages show less gene content differentiation by depth compared to other microbes.

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.

Groundwater Elusimicrobia are metabolically diverse compared to gut microbiome Elusimicrobia and some have a novel nitrogenase paralog

The paper analyzes genomes of Elusimicrobia from various environments, finding groundwater-associated species show diverse metabolic capabilities and some encode novel nitrogenase paralogs.

Early acquisition of conserved, lineage-specific proteins currently lacking functional predictions were central to the rise and diversification of archaea

The paper analyzes archaeal protein families to understand their phylogenetic relationships and identifies conserved hypothetical proteins that may have driven archaeal diversification.

The rise of diversity in metabolic platforms across the Candidate Phyla Radiation

This study analyzes metabolic diversity in CPR bacteria, finding that gene loss and lateral transfer shape metabolic trait distribution, with conserved central pathways and patchy accessory traits.

Unusual metabolism and hypervariation in the genome of a Gracilibacteria (BD1-5) from an oil degrading community

The paper reports the first closed genome of a Gracilibacteria from an oil-degrading community, revealing unusual metabolism and a hypervariable repeat region with potential functional significance.

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.

Lipid analysis of CO2-rich subsurface aquifers suggests an autotrophy-based deep biosphere with lysolipids enriched in CPR bacteria

The paper analyzes lipid composition in CO2-rich subsurface aquifers to infer microbial carbon cycling and lipid sources, finding CPR bacteria may rely on lysolipids from other community members.

Lateral gene transfer shapes the distribution of RuBisCO among Candidate Phyla Radiation bacteria and DPANN archaea

The paper identifies a new RuBisCO type in CPR bacteria and DPANN archaea, showing its lateral transfer and role in carbon metabolism.

Hydrogen-based metabolism - An ancestral trait in lineages sibling to the Cyanobacteria

This paper predicts the metabolisms of Margulisbacteria and Saganbacteria using genomic data and compares them to their phylogenetic neighbors, supporting the hypothesis that their ancestor used hydrogen metabolism and fermentation.