This study uses lipid hydrogen stable isotope probing to estimate archaeal generation times in hot spring sediments, finding decadal-scale rates in Yellowstone and slower rates in El Tatio.

Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences · Oct 1, 2026Peer-reviewedMicrobiology

Microbial Resuscitation and Growth Rates in Deep Permafrost: Lipid Stable Isotope Probing Results from the Permafrost Research Tunnel in Fox, Alaska

T. A. Caro, Jamie M. McFarlin, Ashley E. Maloney, Sierra D. Jech, Amanda Barker, Thomas Alexander Douglas, Robyn A. Barbato, Sebastian Kopf

This study measures microbial resuscitation and growth rates in deep permafrost using lipid-SIP, finding extremely slow initial growth and community restructuring within six months of thaw.

Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences · Sep 1, 2025Peer-reviewedMicrobiology

Lipid hydrogen isotope compositions primarily reflect growth water in the model archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius

Carolynn M. Harris, Sebastian Kopf, Jeemin H. Rhim, Alec Cobban, Felix J. Elling, Xiahong Feng, Jamie M. McFarlin, Yuki Weber, Yujiao Zhang, Alice Zhou, Harpreet Batther, Ann Pearson, William D. Leavitt

This study shows that lipid hydrogen isotope compositions in Sulfolobus acidocaldarius reflect growth water, offering a reliable hydrological proxy for extreme environments and planetary studies.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology · Mar 25, 2025Peer-reviewedMicrobiology