Kurt O. Konhauser

This study traces the evolution of microbial alkaline phosphatases and shows their role in phosphorus recycling through geological time, highlighting their expansion during the Neoproterozoic and their association with specific metabolic strategies.

This study examines how glacier-induced upwelling affects microbial communities in Arctic marine systems, finding that it alters nutrient availability and microbial composition.

The paper resurrects ancient nitrogenase enzymes and shows their nitrogen isotope signatures are similar to modern ones, suggesting evolutionary invariance and supporting the use of N-isotope biosignatures for detecting life.

This study shows microbial exoenzymes played a key role in Earth's oxygenation by enhancing nutrient recycling and supporting cyanobacterial productivity.

This study investigates how iron availability influenced early eukaryotic evolution by linking geochemical records with microbial biochemistry, suggesting iron constraints rather than oxygen availability drove eukaryogenesis.

This study uses phylogenomic analysis to show that molybdenum-dependent enzymes existed as early as 3.4 billion years ago, suggesting Mo was bioavailable in ancient oceans.

This study reveals marine biofilms as a major habitat for cyanobacteria, showing distinct diversity and functional adaptations compared to seawater, with diversification linked to key geological events.