Benoit de Pins

A microbial growth-coupled platform for in vivo interrogation of Rubisco oxygenase activity

This paper develops a microbial platform to study Rubisco oxygenase activity in vivo by linking it to bacterial growth, enabling genetic screening and evolution of enzyme variants.

Global carbon fixation in Earth's subsurface biosphere

The paper characterizes carbon fixation pathways in subsurface metagenomes and estimates a global continental subsurface carbon fixation rate of ~2.65 Pg C yr-1.

Rubisco is slow across the tree of life

The paper characterizes over 250 Rubisco variants from bacteria and archaea, showing they rarely exceed 30 reactions per second at 30°C and predicting rates for all sequenced variants using machine learning.

Tectonic setting shapes microbial biosynthetic potential across global geothermal environments

The paper analyzes microbial biosynthetic potential across geothermal environments, finding that tectonic settings influence the diversity and types of biosynthetic gene clusters.

PYK2 in the dorsal striatum of Huntington disease R6/2 mouse model

This study examines PYK2 levels and effects of its restoration in the striatum of HD mouse models and human patients, finding reduced levels but only partial improvement in motor phenotypes.

Trace metals availability controls terminal electron acceptor utilization in Escherichia coli

This study shows that trace metal availability in Escherichia coli affects electron acceptor utilization, leading to metabolic shifts and increased energy expenditure for metal homeostasis.

Systematic exploration of bacterial form I rubisco maximal carboxylation rates

This study characterizes the kinetic properties of over 100 bacterial form I rubiscos to identify factors influencing carboxylation rates, finding that carboxysomes and cyanobacterial origins are associated with faster rates.

Operant training for highly palatable food alters translating mRNA in nucleus accumbens D2 neurons and reveals a modulatory role of Neurochondrin

This study shows that operant training with highly palatable food alters translating mRNA in NAc D2 neurons and that Ncdn downregulation modulates satiety-sensitive feeding behavior.

Autotrophic growth of E. coli is achieved by a small number of genetic changes

This study identifies three genetic mutations enabling E. coli to grow autotrophically when combined with non-native enzymes for carbon fixation and energy production.

Pyk2 in dorsal hippocampus plays a selective role in spatial memory and synaptic plasticity

This study shows that Pyk2 in the dorsal hippocampus is crucial for specific spatial memory tasks and synaptic plasticity, with effects dependent on experimental protocols.

Translational profiling of mouse dopaminoceptive neurons reveals a role of PGE2 in dorsal striatum

The paper identifies translational and splicing differences in dopaminoceptive neurons and highlights PGE2's role in enhancing D2 dopamine receptor function in the dorsal striatum.

Pyk2 in D1 receptor-expressing neurons of the nucleus accumbens modulates the acute locomotor effects of cocaine

This study shows that Pyk2 in D1 receptor-expressing neurons of the nucleus accumbens modulates acute cocaine-induced locomotor responses but not sensitization or place preference.