Our analyses converge on a narrow archaeal root region at/near the base of the Euryarchaeota, supporting hypotheses in which the Last Archaeal Common Ancestor was a complex, free-living (hyper-)thermophilic methanogen.

In this project, we investigated the root of Archaea using a range of phylogenetic approaches, including the best available site- and branch-heterogeneous substitution models, and new gene tree-species tree reconciliation models.
doi.org/10.1093/bioi...

#Archaea, #DPANN, #phylogenetic_reconciliation
New preprint online!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

There's a PhD position now available with me in Bath, on the evolution of symbiosis. www.findaphd.com/phds/project.... The supervisory team also includes @anja1.bsky.social @phil-donoghue.bsky.social and others. NB, this is open both to UK-based students *and* to international students :)

Huang, @tweethinking.bsky.social, Sepang et al. use phylogenetic analyses to reveal that the Njordarchaeales and Panguiarchaeales constitute the new class Njordarchaeia within Asgard archaea.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf201

#evobio #molbio #archaea

I gave a symposium talk at the European Society for Evolutionary Biology 2025 (#eseb2025) meeting last week and this was my title slide showcasing how I was speaking as an independent scientist because @dalhousieu.bsky.social @dalhousie.bsky.social has locked us out.

New preprint up now!

Interested in the evolution of halophily within DPANN archaea we decided to investigate the sister phylum to the Nanohaloarchaeota, GTDB phylum EX4484-52, for which we propose the name Caliditerrarchaeota
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Learn about the EMBO Fellowship Programme and the EMBO Scientific Exchange Grants in the upcoming #webinar we are co-organizing with the #Japan Science and Technology Agency on 3 June from 16:00–17:00 JST. 🧪

Register by 29 May: buff.ly/pF9qM6m
#funding #opportunity

#Asgard,#phylogeny
1/ 🧵 Does MAGs contamination affect the placement of Njord as suggested by Zhang et al, 2025? www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Our updated analysis suggests instead... www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

New vacancy in my team!

PhD student position on microbial genome evolution, focusing on the evolutionary principles underlying bacterial genome architecture.

Please repost and share with talented MSc students in #evobio, bioinformatics or related :)

www.uu.nl/en/organisat...

#MEvoSky #MicroSky

Great Mentor, Exciting project, Fun city. What more could you wish for!?

The core #anammox redox reaction system of 12 anammox bacterial genera and their evolution and application implications #Brocadia #Kuenenia #Scalindua #Jettenia #hydrazine #nitrate www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Originally defined by Rinke et al. (2013) as Candidatus Patescibacteria, the phylum #Patescibacteriota now has a validly published name and an official type!

Explore the lifestyle, biogeography, and metabolic capabilities of its type genus, #Patescibacterium, here: doi.org/10.1093/isme...

#SeqCode

Asgardarchaea & Alphaproteobacteria: key players for the assembly eukaryotic central carbon metabolism! Our new study reveals their gene contributions to glycolysis & TCA cycle, supporting synthrophic scenarios of eukaryogenesis.
rdcu.be/eb0aK

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... A new collaborative paper with Anja Spang, Wen-Cong Huang, @chrisrinke.bsky.social @ettema.bsky.social @ssolo.bsky.social Zheng-Shuang Hua Maraike Probst and Lenard Szantho. We investigated the phylogenetic position and metabolic evolution of Panguiarchaeum.

Are you interested in studying archaea with their diverse symbionts? We look forward hearing from you: workingat.nioz.nl/o/postdoc-po...

Fully Funded PhD Opportunity in Evolutionary Biology at the U of Rhode Island. Join us to explore the origin and early evolution of eukaryotes using cutting-edge comparative (meta)genomics and molecular evolution approaches. Applications are due December 15th. Contact me ASAP at laura.eme@uri.edu

Microbial people! Especially postdocs and maybe some assistant professors who are feeling antsy ... the University of Montana is doing a search for a microbiologist! This is a great department, in a great place. (I worked there for 10 years, loved it, ping me with Qs)

apply.interfolio.com/159494