Michael J. Wilkins

Burn intensity regulates post-fire effects on soil N2O emissions: A grassland soil pyrocosm study

This study shows that low burn intensity increases N2O emissions through denitrification, while high burn intensity reduces emissions due to microbial loss and resource limitation.

Gene Duplication, Horizontal Gene Transfer, and Trait Trade-offs Drive Evolution of Post-Fire Resource Acquisition in Pyrophilous Fungi

This study identifies genomic strategies and trait trade-offs in pyrophilous fungi that enable survival and nutrient cycling post-fire, revealing gene duplication, horizontal gene transfer, and sexual recombination as key evolutionary mechanisms.

Genomic innovation through fragmentation and gene transfer underlies adaptation in pyrophilous bacteria

This study investigates genomic adaptations in pyrophilous bacteria after wildfires, finding gene fragmentation, horizontal gene transfer, and plasmid-mediated operon expansion enhance their ability to degrade PyOM and acquire nutrients.

Chaparral wildfire shifts the functional potential for soil pyrogenic organic matter and nitrogen cycling

The paper examines how wildfire alters soil microbial functional potential for PyOM degradation and nitrogen cycling over time using metagenomic analysis of burned and unburned soils.

A uniform stress response of stream microbiomes in the hyporheic zone across North America

The paper analyzes hyporheic zone microbiomes across North America to show conserved stress responses and distinct metabolic activity in sediments versus surface water.

Metabolic interactions underpinning high methane fluxes across terrestrial freshwater wetlands

The paper integrates multi-omics data from wetlands to link microbial communities to methane fluxes, identifying conserved genera and metabolic interactions that influence emissions.