Intrafilament nucleotide exchange in a prokaryotic actin homolog https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.24.740542v1
Romain Villa
@romain-villa.bsky.social
I'm a PhD student in microbiology 🔬🦠 💻 at Institute Pasteur Paris in Simonetta Gribaldo's lab. Focused on methanogens adaptations to the gut environment
Excited to share our new preprint led by Fred and me in collaboration with the archaeal community! We found that the molecular foundation of histone-based chromatin has pre-eukaryotic roots in Asgard archaea. (1/4) #ArchaeaSky www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Emergence of histone-based chromatin complexity in Asgard archaea
The emergence of the eukaryotes coincided with the diversification of histone proteins and their post-translational modifications by enzymes that constitute the core of eukaryotic chromatin. Yet the e...
biorxiv.org
Congrats @baptistedarracq.bsky.social & @marialopopolo.bsky.social two Pasteurians awarded the Academy of Sciences' "Major Advances in Biology" Prize for groundbreaking Science publications on bacterial defense & ancient leprosy. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40339013/ pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40440428/
Sedentary chromosomal integrons as biobanks of bacterial antiphage defense systems - PubMed
Integrons are genetic systems that drive bacterial adaptation by acquiring, expressing, and shuffling gene cassettes. While mobile integrons are well known for spreading antibiotic resistance genes, t...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
I'm happy to share the first pre-print of out Lab! 🎉 Introducing ArchaeaHQ www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... We curated 21,644 genomes across all 4 archaeal kingdoms to bridge the gap in public datasets for computational biology What is inside ArchaeaHQ... (1/2)
#ResultatScientifique🔎| Une bactérie capable de changer de « bouclier » pour mieux s’adapter à son environnement : une stratégie étonnante de Klebsiella pneumoniae qui éclaire ses capacités d’évolution et de résistance. ✍️ @olayarendueles.bsky.social @julielebris.bsky.social ▶️ buff.ly/q8AKHo1
"The selfish ribosome" paper is now published in @plosbiology.org . Have a look! Many thanks to the editors and reviewers! doi.org/10.1371/jour...
The selfish ribosome
In this Essay, the evolution of life is construed as a ribosomal takeover, whereby the ribosome evolved to consume most of the cell’s resources, while other cellular componentry ensured the propagatio...
journals.plos.org
Mart Krupovic@mkrupovic.bsky.social · 6mo agoWith Eugene Koonin, we propose a concept of “the selfish ribosome”, under which evolution of life is viewed as a ribosomal takeover, where the ribosome evolved to consume most of the cell’s resources, while other cellular componentry ensures the propagation of the ribosome. arxiv.org/abs/2602.23268
So happy to see this finally published in @plosbiology.org! This is the first chapter of @julielebris.bsky.social PhD thesis demonstrating how capsules are exchanged by plug-and-play dynamics w/ @epcrocha.bsky.social #microsky @klebclub.bsky.social Link below- Check out her 🧵 for more details!
Plug-and-play evolution of the Klebsiella pneumoniae capsule locus enables serotype exchange across genetic backgrounds
How complex multi-gene systems evolve across genetic backgrounds without disruptive epistasis remains unclear, particularly in highly exchangeable loci such as the capsule of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Th...
doi.org
Julie Le Bris@julielebris.bsky.social · 11mo agoHow complex functions, with important physiological and evolutionary impacts get repeatedly and efficiently transferred across genomes? That’s what we explored using one of the fastest-evolving loci in Bacteria: the capsule locus. The paper: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... Thread👇
Final version @nature.com of our paper describing unconventional multicellular development in a choanoflagellate inhabiting an extreme environment. A ton of new data since the first @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social preprint (which we've kept updating). A brief 🧵 (carried over from the old place)
Nature Portfolio@natureportfolio.nature.com · 6mo agoA study in Nature shows that the single-celled form of a tiny, aquatic organism can turn into a multicellular version by three different routes. The discovery adds insight to the possible origins of multicellular life, suggesting a previously unrecognized degree of flexibility. 🧪
With Eugene Koonin, we propose a concept of “the selfish ribosome”, under which evolution of life is viewed as a ribosomal takeover, where the ribosome evolved to consume most of the cell’s resources, while other cellular componentry ensures the propagation of the ribosome. arxiv.org/abs/2602.23268
Nature research paper: Oxygen metabolism in descendants of the archaeal-eukaryotic ancestor go.nature.com/4rSfRRw
Oxygen metabolism in descendants of the archaeal-eukaryotic ancestor - Nature
Sequencing of marine sediments finds 136 newly identified Heimdallarchaeia and several novel lineages, and indicates that Heimdallarchaeia evolved distinct metabolic capabilities from other Asgardarchaeota, in conditions that may have given rise to early eukaryotes.
go.nature.com
Finally out in @nature.com: a new piece of the puzzle of how complex life evolved. Lead by @archaeal.bsky.social & @katyappler.bsky.social. Great collab with @greening.bsky.social and @kassipan.bsky.social. More pieces to follow soon! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Beyond thrilled to share that our study has been published! This project encompasses years of work, including my thesis research on Asgard archaea in the @archaeal.bsky.social lab at @utmsi.bsky.social and @texasscience.bsky.social!!! #MicroSky #ArchaeaSky 1/12
Passioned by #bioenergetics? Do not miss our new article on the evolutionary history of oxidoreductases with G. Borrel and @sgribaldo.bsky.social @archaeal.bsky.social @valdeanda.bsky.social @pasteur.fr @cnrs.fr @cnrsbiologie.bsky.social @natecoevo.nature.com (www.nature.com/articles/s41...).
Evolution and diversity of oxidoreductases involved in redox balance and energy conservation - Nature Ecology & Evolution
HORBEC are protein complexes involved in the regulation of redox balance and energy conservation. The authors develop a bioinformatic tool for HORBEC annotation in bacterial and archaeal genomes and r...
nature.com
Archaea Power Hour needs you 🫵! We are looking for presenters for our upcoming spring semester seminar series now! Tell us about your amazing archaeal research by submitting an abstract here: docs.google.com/forms/u/2/d/...
Abstract Submission - Spring seminars 2026
Thank you for your interest in presenting at Archaea Power Hour! We're excited to announce that we have merged our previously separate initiatives, APH-Americas and APH-Europe, into a unified platform...
docs.google.com
Curious about the top methane-maker in your gut? Meet this month's featured microbe and find out! 🦠💨🔥 in @cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social #archaeasky @sgribaldo.bsky.social @pasteur.fr 🔗 Full article linked in reply👇 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Methanobrevibacter smithii
sciencedirect.com
Yes Archaea too can get fat 😁 New paper from the lab (by bsky-less Guillaume Borrel)! Check it out👇👇 #archaeasky #microsky @institutpasteur.bsky.social academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...
Halophilic archaea produce wax esters and use an alternative fatty acyl-CoA reductase for precursor synthesis
Abstract. Wax esters are fatty acid-based neutral lipids thought to be restricted to bacteria and eukaryotes that play a key role in the functioning and ma
academic.oup.com
Have you ever heard about sheaths? Happy to share our last paper with @sgribaldo.bsky.social and Guillaume Borrel @pasteur.fr where we investigated their distribution and evolution! doi.org/10.1093/isme... Below a thread of our major findings:
Sheaths are diverse and abundant cell surface layers in archaea
Abstract. Prokaryotic cells employ multiple protective layers crucial for defense, structural integrity, and cellular interactions in the environment. Arch
doi.org
Honored to be part of a collaborative team receiving funding to genetically engineer methanogens in ruminants for reducing carbon emissions. We're now seeking multiple postdocs in the USA, Germany, and New Zealand - apply via the link! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... 🧫🧪 #ArchaeaSky #MicrobiomeSky
Sheaths are diverse and abundant cell surface layers in archaea academic.oup.com/ismej/articl...
Sheaths are diverse and abundant cell surface layers in archaea
Abstract. Prokaryotic cells employ multiple protective layers crucial for defense, structural integrity, and cellular interactions in the environment. Arch
academic.oup.com
After years of work, our podcast series on #archaea is finally releasing episodes! Listen to the first two and subscribe to get more every two weeks!
Brett Baker@archaeal.bsky.social · 2y agoNew podcast entirely about archaea just started! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...
