M. Liebeke

Mechanism of high energy efficiency of carbon fixation by sulfur-oxidizing symbionts revealed by single-cell analyses and metabolic modeling

The paper investigates carbon fixation efficiency in sulfur-oxidizing symbionts using single-cell analyses and metabolic modeling, finding that stored sulfur and polyhydroxyalkanoate contribute to energy and reducing equivalents for carbon fixation.

Multiplexed neuropeptide mapping in ant brains integrating microtomography and 3D mass spectrometry imaging

This paper maps neuropeptides in ant brains using mass spectrometry imaging and microtomography, revealing species-specific distributions and anatomical associations.

De novo phytosterol synthesis in animals

The paper shows marine annelids synthesize sitosterol, a phytosterol, challenging the assumption that phytosterol synthesis is exclusive to plants.

Connecting structure and function from organisms to molecules in small animal symbioses through chemo-histo-tomography

This paper introduces CHEMHIST, a method combining spatial metabolomics and microCT to connect metabolic function with anatomical structure in small symbiotic animals.

Sugars dominate the seagrass rhizosphere

The paper shows seagrasses excrete high concentrations of sucrose into their rhizosphere, which accumulates due to microbial inhibition by phenolic compounds.

Candidatus Ethanoperedens, a thermophilic genus of archaea mediating the anaerobic oxidation of ethane

This paper cultivates and genomes a novel thermophilic archaeon, Candidatus Ethanoperedens, that oxidizes ethane and provides insights into its unique metabolic pathways.

Marine metabolomics: a method for the non-targeted measurement of metabolites in seawater by gas-chromatography mass spectrometry

The paper develops SeaMet, a GC-MS method for non-targeted metabolite analysis in seawater, showing significant signal improvement and revealing insights into marine microbial metabolism and ecosystem dynamics.

The Trichoplax microbiome: the simplest animal lives in an intimate symbiosis with two intracellular bacteria

The paper identifies two intracellular bacteria in Trichoplax H2, showing they live in symbiosis with the host and have distinct metabolic roles.

Spatial metabolomics of in situ, host-microbe interactions

The paper introduces metaFISH, a spatial metabolomics pipeline that links host and microbial metabolites in situ, revealing metabolic adaptations and novel symbiosis metabolites in deep-sea mussels.

Drying enhances signal intensity for global GC-MS metabolomics.

The paper shows that drying samples between derivatization steps in GC-MS metabolomics increases metabolite signal intensity by two-to tenfold across multiple biological samples.

Sulfur-oxidizing symbionts without canonical genes for autotrophic CO2 fixation

This study identifies Kentron, sulfur-oxidizing symbionts lacking canonical autotrophic CO2 fixation genes, instead relying on organic carbon for heterotrophic growth.

Dark aerobic sulfide oxidation by anoxygenic phototrophs in the anoxic waters of Lake Cadagno

This study shows that Chromatium okenii drives dark aerobic sulfide oxidation in anoxic Lake Cadagno waters, challenging the assumption that aerobic respiration is rare in such environments.