Happy to share our new paper on cable bacteria. Motivated by the lack of pure cultures, we developed a standardized artificial sediment system that supports repeated cultivation of freshwater and marine cable bacteria under controlled conditions. Link: doi.org/10.1093/isme...

Artificial sediments enable reproducible cultivation and recapitulate ecological interactions of cable bacteria

Abstract. Cable bacteria are filamentous microbes that couple sulfide oxidation to oxygen reduction over centimeter distances via long-distance electron tr

doi.org

Isolation of Allocrenothrix methanica reveals distinct ecophysiologies of filamentous methanotrophs and adaptations to O2 limitation academic.oup.com/ismej/articl...

Isolation of Allocrenothrix methanica reveals distinct ecophysiologies of filamentous methanotrophs and adaptations to O2 limitation

Abstract. Ferdinand Cohn observed abundant filamentous bacteria in drinking water wells in 1870 that he named Crenothrix polyspora. Subsequent research has

academic.oup.com

I predicted that even if their AI found ways to improve efficiency, Google's energy use would go up, not down. Seven years later and this is where we're at:

Four new Associate/Full Professor positions at Aarhus University @au.dk Faculty of Natural Sciences with focus on innovation, i.e. if you have especially strong links to the world outside academia (maybe you've been in industry for some years and are looking to come back?): www.au.dk/om/stillinge...

Professor or Associate Professor within the natural sciences, with a focus on Innovation (4 positions) - Ledig stilling på Aarhus Universitet

Ledig stilling ved Natural Sciences, Aarhus Universitet

au.dk

Have ideas for your own, independent research program in Theoretical Biology? Then come and join us as a Group Leader at the @mpi-evolbio.bsky.social in Plön, Germany!

Group Leader in Theoretical Biology (m/f/d)

Experience in Theoretical Biology, Applied Mathematics, Theoretical Physics

mpg.de

A simple mathematical model for the discontinuity in average nucleotide identity distributions in prokaryotes doi.org/10.21203/rs....

Sampling in Fløjstrup Skov south of Aarhus with masters student Jeppe (left) and postdoc Justus (right).

I'm happy to announce the release of GlobDB r232! This version contains 346,233 bacterial and archaeal genomes, based on 26 datasets. More info globdb.org 🦠🖥️🧬

Check out this lovely piece of work by Jan V. Henkel and the AU team in collaboration with us at SDU and colleagues at AAU. Congrats Jan!!!! journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... Jan discovered the tiny microbes that make their home on ferromagnetic particles in the SMTZ of Baltic Sea sediments! 🦠 🧲 🦠

Desulfatiglans-related bacteria associated with conductive mineral particles in marine subsurface sediments | mBio

Acetate is a central intermediate in the anaerobic breakdown of organic matter. In Baltic Sea sediments at and below the sulfate–methane transition zone, we observed acetate oxidation to carbon dioxid...

doi.org

Desulfatiglans-related bacteria associated with conductive mineral particles in marine subsurface sediments journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/... #jcampubs

Have a look at our new paper on sulfur metabolism in cable bacteria, first author Lea Plum-Jensen: academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc... It's an interesting case of a pathway gap being filled using AlphaFold and subsequently verified biochemically. @ismepublications.bsky.social

Distribution of a novel DsrEFH sulfur transferase suggests widespread sulfur oxidation capacity in sulfate reducers

Abstract. Microbial sulfur cycling is typically divided into an oxidative and a reductive branch, with microbes driving either sulfide oxidation or sulfate

academic.oup.com

A very important preprint to check out: The holobiont is not a useful model for most host-microbiome interactions By Gavin M Douglas an S. Andrew Inkpen ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...

Extracellular electron transfer in cable bacteria enables growth rates comparable to aerobic respiration #microbiology #bacteria #MicroSky @natcomms.nature.com www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Published! Using thermodynamics, we proposed a new microbial metabolism: CH4 + CO to form acetate. This reaction is exergonic under a wide range of conditions and could potentially fuel life in serpentinizing systems and the deep subsurface. agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Acetogenic Methane‐Carbon Monoxide Comproportionation: An Exergonic but Unobserved Microbial Metabolism

Carbon comproportionation reactions are an underexplored class of carbon redox processes relevant to microbial energy conservation Methane-carbon monoxide comproportionation to acetate is exergon...

agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Heidi Aronson, PhD@heidi-aronson.bsky.social · 7mo ago

We’re back with a new comproportionation metabolism! Here we propose that the reaction of CH4 and CO to form acetate is exergonic could support microbial life in serpentinizing springs, the deep subsurface, and Mars and early Earth hydrothermal fluids. #geomicrobiology #astrobiology #methane 🪐🦠

Happy to share our work in @natcomms.nature.com Link: www.nature.com/articles/s41... We show that cable bacteria can actively grow under anoxic conditions using extracellular electron transfer to insoluble electron acceptors, with growth rates comparable to aerobic respiration.

Extracellular electron transfer in cable bacteria enables growth rates comparable to aerobic respiration www.nature.com/articles/s41... #jcampubs

Are you a student looking for an exciting bachelor's, master's or Biology project? We recommend checking out the updated projects on CEM’s webpage: Join Us! You also find the projects on Biology - Aarhus University's Student Project Shop! 📍Find the available projects through the link in the comments

In case anyone is curious: according to Perth Airport security, Vegemite counts as a liquid or a gel (not sure which one).

bio.au.dk/om-institutt...

Tenure-track Assistant/Associate Professor/Professor in Ecophysiology and Ecology Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark - Ledig stilling på Aarhus Universitet

Ledig stilling ved Institut for Biologi, Aarhus Universitet

bio.au.dk

🪸 We're hiring a PhD student in microbial ecology of crustose coralline algae! Fully funded 3-year position jointly hosted at SZN Genova & MPI-MM Bremen, with fieldwork in Belize, Seychelles & Fiji. ⏰ Deadline: May 21, 2026 #PhD #MarineScience #Microbiology #OpenPosition

Open position: PhD scholarship in microbial ecology of coralline algae - Marine Symbiomes Research Group

We invite applications for a PhD student to work on the microbiomes of crustose coralline algae (CCA) across tropical mangrove–seagrass–reef corridors.

marinesymbiomes.eu

Many ocean microbes have the genetic potential of consuming taurine, a key organosulfur compound, but it is unclear how this activity is linked to the worldwide decline in oxygen levels. Here, we found by 13C-DOS qSIP that taurine was only used as a C source in hypoxic waters of the Mariager Fjord.

Two positions at Aalborg University (Denmark) in microbial single cell genomics: Laboratory Engineer → aau.varbi.com/what:job/job... Bioinformatics Engineer → aau.varbi.com/what:job/job... Deadline: May 8, 2025 #Hiring #Microbiology #Bioinformatics #SingleCell #Microbiome #Denmark

Bioinformatics Engineer in Microbial Single-Cell Genomics

Do you want to lead the development of bioinformatics infrastructure for a state-of-the-art research laboratory dedicated to exploring the amazingly abundant and diverse life of environmental microorg

aau.varbi.com

Pleased to share our preprint on a cultivation system for cable bacteria using artificial sediments, removing the variability of natural samples. The system supports growth, serial transfer, and recapitulates key geochemical gradients and microbial interactions. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Multiple fully funded PhD/postdoc positions available: experimental evolution of tumour suppression, egalitarian & fraternal ETIs, jumbo phage ecology & genetics. Related EoIs welcome. Email CV/statement of motivation written in own words. Open until filled. Grateful for reposting 🙏

Excited to share our paper in @cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social We explore how microbes can simultaneously use oxygen and alternative electron acceptors, reshaping how we think about respiration. We also discuss the evolutionary context and how it can be studied. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Breathing both ways: simultaneous aerobic–anaerobic respiration in microbes

Microorganisms have historically been classified as obligate aerobes or anaerobes, facultative anaerobes, or microaerophiles, reflecting differences i…

sciencedirect.com

Retreat day 1🌿 Yesterday, CEM arrived at MolsLab in beautiful sunshine, kicking off our annual 3-day retreat dedicated to deep dives into CEM’s key research areas. We spent the day in focused scientific group work across our core topics, bringing together diverse skills, backgrounds and disciplines

Deadline is April 20th! Let’s get those viruses

Ella Sieradzki@sieravirus.bsky.social · 5mo ago

I'm hiring my first postdoc! Apply by 20/4/26, position #20443. Seeking an environmental microbiologist with experience in metagenomics (preferably viromics) and molecular biology. Experience with targeted metabolomics is a plus. international.au.dk/about/profil...

📣We have 5 PhD positions in hadal biogeochemistry and microbial ecology at the Danish Center for Hadal Research: lnkd.in/eJ6rp_Rk. 📣 Deadline: 4 May 2026 Please share widely! fa-eosd-saasfaprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

PhD positions in hadal biogeochemistry & microbial ecology

Application deadline: 4 May 2026 at 23:59 hours local Danish time

fa-eosd-saasfaprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com

Glad to see our paper published in Nature Communications We discovered how novel marine microorganisms interact via geoconductors to produce methane. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

The world’s oceans are losing oxygen—one of the most serious consequences of climate change. 🌊 But what impact does this have on microorganisms and organic matter cycles?🚢 To find out, biogeochemist @ggomezsaez.bsky.social and his team are traveling to Jutland:

Climate change: when the ocean runs out of oxygen

Oxygen levels are low in many ocean regions. How does this affect organic matter cycling and microorganisms? In search of an answer, biogeochemist Gonzalo Gomez Saez journeyed by ship to Jutland.

lmu.de