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Discovery and ecogenomic context of a global Caldiserica-related phylum active in thawing permafrost, Candidatus Cryosericota phylum nov., Ca. Cryosericia class nov., Ca. Cryosericales ord. nov., Ca. Cryosericaceae fam. nov., comprising the four species Cryosericum septentrionale gen. nov. sp. nov., Ca. C. hinesii sp. nov., Ca. C. odellii sp. nov., Ca. C. terrychapinii sp. nov

The phylum Caldiserica was identified from the hot spring 16S rRNA gene lineage ‘OP5’ and named for the sole isolate Caldisericum exile, a hot spring sulfur-reducing chemoheterotroph. Here we characterize 7 Caldiserica metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from a thawing permafrost site in Stordalen Mire, Arctic Sweden. By 16S rRNA and marker gene phylogenies, and average nucleotide… [Read More]

The Biota Project: A Case Study of a Multimedia, Grassroots Approach to Scientific Communication for Engaging Diverse Audiences

The Biota Project communicates science to populations historically ignored by the scientific community. The Biota Project is comprised of a team of young professionals from a myriad of backgrounds and locations with interests in promoting science accessibility and equity. We do this by highlighting research conducted by scientists from underrepresented groups in relatable yet underrated… [Read More]

Characterization of the Clostridium thermocellum AdhE, NfnAB, ferredoxin and Pfor proteins for their ability to support high titer ethanol production in Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum

The thermophilic anaerobes Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum and Clostridium thermocellum are good candidates for lignocellulosic ethanol production. T. saccharolyticum has been successfully engineered to produce ethanol at high titer (70g/L). The maximum ethanol titer of engineered strains of C. thermocellum is only 25g/L. We hypothesize that one or more of the enzymes in the ethanol production pathway… [Read More]

Direct pathway cloning of the sodorifen biosynthetic gene cluster and recombinant generation of its product in E. coli

BACKGROUND: Serratia plymuthica WS3236 was selected for whole genome sequencing based on preliminary genetic and chemical screening indicating the presence of multiple natural product pathways. This led to the identification of a putative sodorifen biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC). The natural product sodorifen is a volatile organic compound (VOC) with an unusual polymethylated hydrocarbon bicyclic structure… [Read More]

Candidatus Prosiliicoccus vernus, a spring phytoplankton bloom associated member of the Flavobacteriaceae

Microbial degradation of algal biomass following spring phytoplankton blooms has been characterised as a concerted effort among multiple clades of heterotrophic bacteria. Despite their significance to overall carbon turnover, many of these clades have resisted cultivation. One clade known from 16S rRNA gene sequencing surveys at Helgoland in the North Sea, was formerly identified as… [Read More]

Extent and Origins of Functional Diversity in a Subfamily of Glycoside Hydrolases

Some glycoside hydrolases have broad specificity for hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds, potentially increasing their functional utility and flexibility in physiological and industrial applications. To deepen the understanding of the structural and evolutionary driving forces underlying specificity patterns in glycoside hydrolase family 5, we quantitatively screened the activity of the catalytic core domains from subfamily 4… [Read More]

Metabotyping as a Stopover in Genome-to-Phenome Mapping

Predicting phenotypic expression from genomic and environmental information is arguably the greatest challenge in today’s biology. Being able to survey genomic content, e.g., as single-nucleotide polymorphism data, within a diverse population and predict the phenotypes of external traits, represents the holy grail across genome-informed disciplines, from personal medicine and nutrition to plant breeding. In the… [Read More]