Mark Blaxter

The paper presents 25 new microsporidian genomes, revealing extreme pangenome diversity and novel tetraploid structures in some species.

Across 325 Darwin Tree of Life genomes, satellite-array and transposon-cluster centromeres are phylogenetically scattered, fitting a model of repeated interconversion; satellites share higher-order repeat structure but not sequence.

This paper identifies three new Panagrolaimus species using genome sequencing, ultra-conserved element analysis, and morphology, supported by high-quality assemblies from long-read data.

The paper reports extreme programmed DNA elimination in Auanema rhodense during embryogenesis, revealing extensive loss of germline-specific DNA from somatic cells.

The paper identifies a new transposable element, Tangerine, in the lichen fungus Xanthoria parietina, showing evidence of horizontal gene transfer and potential role in lichen genome evolution.

The paper shows that a neo-Y chromosome emerged in nematodes with rare males, showing degeneration and male-beneficial genes, supporting its maintenance in autopseudogamy.

The paper studies genomic signatures of coevolution between a parasitoid fly and its cricket host, revealing arms-race dynamics and selective sweeps driven by host adaptations.

The Vertebrate Genomes Project Phase I provides high-quality reference genomes for 816 species, enabling evolutionary and conservation insights across vertebrates.

This study shows hybridisation enables Amazonian trees to rapidly evolve chemical defences against herbivores, driving diversification in response to shifting herbivore communities.

The paper investigates chromosomal evolution in sedges and rushes, finding evidence of polycentromeres and their impact on genome rearrangement rates and segregation patterns.

This study examines genome evolution in parthenogenetic nematodes, revealing chromosome fusions, rearrangements, and evidence of rare sexual reproduction events.

The paper identifies exWAGO as an ancestral regulator of LTR retrotransposons, showing it binds sRNAs from TEs and non-autonomous LTRs in extracellular forms.

The paper presents the genome of Echinomermella matsi, a sea urchin parasite, and places it within the nematode order Plectida, highlighting its evolutionary significance for studying aquatic parasitism.

The paper introduces snail plots to assess genome assembly quality in a genome-size independent manner and shows they correlate with qualitative assessments of assembly quality.

This paper presents a chromosome-level genome assembly of Acrobeloides nanus, revealing genomic features and adaptations related to parthenogenesis and desiccation resistance.

This study uses long-read metagenomic sequencing to analyze Peltigerales lichen symbionts, revealing high transposable element content and their potential role in lichenization evolution.

This study identifies somatic and germline mutational signatures across 661 species, revealing greater diversity than in human samples, likely due to environmental or biological factors.

The paper identifies programmed DNA elimination in three Caenorhabditis species, showing it was present in their last common ancestor and later lost in some lineages.

The paper presents 40 new microsporidian genomes, revealing evidence of sexual reproduction and autopolyploidy, with tetraploid genomes organized into diploid compartments.

The paper investigates the evolutionary history of Wolbachia symbiosis in filarial nematodes by analyzing nuclear Wolbachia transfers and genome sequences, revealing complex patterns of cospeciation, loss, and replacement.

This study presents chromosome-level genomes for sloths and anteaters, revealing retrocopy formation and domestication as key drivers of xenarthran genome evolution and physiological specializations.

Oatk combines a sparse syncmer assembler, profile HMM gene databases and graph path search to assemble plastomes and mitogenomes from HiFi reads for 195 plant species.

Across 4883 species, standardised high-molecular-weight DNA extraction passed 96% of chordate and 91% of plant species, while fungi failed at 34.2%; ultra-low-input PacBio libraries rescue many low-yield samples.

This paper presents two new Kudoa genomes assembled from contaminated fish samples, revealing conserved gene order and rapid sequence evolution despite genomic simplification.

The study presents a chromosome-level genome assembly of the Atlas blue butterfly, revealing constraints on chromosome evolution in Lepidoptera through extensive fission and fusion events.

The paper quantifies mutational sensitivity in nematode vulval development and shows how differences in sensitivity between clades explain divergent phenotypic evolution patterns.

The paper presents the reference genome of Cheirolophus tagananensis, providing tools for studying genetic adaptation and supporting conservation strategies.

The paper describes the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) pilot project, which tests a decentralized model for producing high-quality reference genomes across 98 European species.

This study compares molecular functions and biosynthetic gene clusters in cyanobacterial genomes to identify specializations associated with symbiotic lifestyles.

plastiC recovers and characterizes plastid genomes from metagenomic datasets, demonstrating its utility in recovering algal plastid MAGs from lichen metagenomes.