G. P. Fournier

Chimeric Inheritance and Crown-Group Acquisitions of Carbon Fixation Genes within Chlorobiales

The paper investigates horizontal gene transfer in Chlorobiales, showing that the rTCA cycle was independently acquired twice, challenging assumptions about microbial carbon fixation pathways in the geological record.

Non-phylogenetic identification of co-evolving genes for reconstructing the archaeal Tree of Life

This paper introduces the Evolutionary Similarity Index (IES) to identify co-evolving gene families in archaea, finding eight major clusters with compatible evolutionary trends and evidence of horizontal gene transfer.

Fast-evolving alignment sites are highly informative for reconstructions of deep Tree of Life phylogenies

This paper challenges the practice of trimming fast-evolving sites in microbial phylogenetic analysis, showing they contain reliable information and that trimming can reduce reconstruction accuracy.

Horizontal gene transfer constrains the timing of methanogen evolution

The paper uses a horizontal gene transfer event to estimate the timing of methanogen evolution, suggesting methanogenesis occurred no later than 3.51 billion years ago.