Roland Hatzenpichler
@environmicrobio.bsky.social
archaea, methane, microbial ecophysiology, single cell activity, next generation physiology / for evidence-based decision-making / I hold strong opinions / I don’t mince words / posts reflect personal views / www.environmental-microbiology.com
Pinned
Physiology, the functioning of a cell at a given time and in a given set of physiochemical conditions, is an emergent property that cannot be reliably predicted from genomic data or metabolic reconstructions alone. #testthy(metagenomic)hypotheses
Could a kind soul please email me these two papers? Thanks! 🦠https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijsem.0.006169
www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
Methanolobus mangrovi sp. nov. and Methanolobus sediminis sp. nov, two novel methylotrophic methanogens isolated from mangrove sediments in China
Two methylotrophic methanogens, designated strains FTZ2T and FTZ6T, were isolated from mangrove sediment sampled in Futian Mangrove Nature Reserve in Shenzhen, PR China. Cells of strains FTZ2T and FTZ...
www.microbiologyresearch.org
January 16, 2026 at 11:17 PM
Could a kind soul please email me these two papers? Thanks! 🦠https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijsem.0.006169
www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...
Lol. Der Witz war mir zu hoch
January 14, 2026 at 11:55 PM
Lol. Der Witz war mir zu hoch
I highly doubt that. DNA/RNA are simply not stable enough long-term and microbial cells don't fossilize (with important exceptions like magnetosomes). 50M year old Bacillus spores in halite are different from >1B year old molecular or cellular fossils that would be required.
January 14, 2026 at 10:07 PM
I highly doubt that. DNA/RNA are simply not stable enough long-term and microbial cells don't fossilize (with important exceptions like magnetosomes). 50M year old Bacillus spores in halite are different from >1B year old molecular or cellular fossils that would be required.
Link is usc internal
January 14, 2026 at 9:31 PM
Link is usc internal
Friendly reminder that we cannot use extant organisms to put a timeline on extinct organisms in the absence of a reliable, independent fossil record. Any speculation about when these events happened needs to be taken with a massive chunk of salt.
January 14, 2026 at 9:22 PM
Friendly reminder that we cannot use extant organisms to put a timeline on extinct organisms in the absence of a reliable, independent fossil record. Any speculation about when these events happened needs to be taken with a massive chunk of salt.
Reposted by Roland Hatzenpichler
Dominant contribution of Asgard archaea to eukaryogenesis www.nature.com/articles/s41... #jcampubs
January 14, 2026 at 5:27 PM
Dominant contribution of Asgard archaea to eukaryogenesis www.nature.com/articles/s41... #jcampubs
And Magnetoglobus multicellularis and Myxococcus xanthus as models for the origin of multicellularity and cooperative social behavior in bacteria.
January 11, 2026 at 10:12 PM
And Magnetoglobus multicellularis and Myxococcus xanthus as models for the origin of multicellularity and cooperative social behavior in bacteria.
I’d say Prometheoarchaeon or another cultured Asgard archaeon and their respective bacterial cocultures as models for the origin of the eukaryotic cell. And Carsonella rudii, a bacterium within a bacterium within an insect, as a model for the origin of endosymbiosis.
January 11, 2026 at 10:04 PM
I’d say Prometheoarchaeon or another cultured Asgard archaeon and their respective bacterial cocultures as models for the origin of the eukaryotic cell. And Carsonella rudii, a bacterium within a bacterium within an insect, as a model for the origin of endosymbiosis.
Can you define model organism, please. Some people think a model must be genetically amendable. I disagree.
January 11, 2026 at 7:35 PM
Can you define model organism, please. Some people think a model must be genetically amendable. I disagree.
Reposted by Roland Hatzenpichler
In this week’s @science.org cover article, we discover tree bark is a hidden habitat for abundant, diverse, and specialized microbial life that actively regulate our climate 🦠. Bark isn't just an inert armor of tree but an active interface for climate and biodiversity
www.science.org/eprint/7H9PX...
www.science.org/eprint/7H9PX...
Bark microbiota modulate climate-active gas fluxes in Australian forests
Recent studies suggest that microbes inhabit tree bark, yet little is known about their identities, functions, and environmental roles. Here we reveal, through gene-centric and genome-resolved metagen...
www.science.org
January 8, 2026 at 8:37 PM
In this week’s @science.org cover article, we discover tree bark is a hidden habitat for abundant, diverse, and specialized microbial life that actively regulate our climate 🦠. Bark isn't just an inert armor of tree but an active interface for climate and biodiversity
www.science.org/eprint/7H9PX...
www.science.org/eprint/7H9PX...
😂 As stated in second comment, MCR stands for methyl coenzyme M reductase, the key enzyme in methanogenesis (and anaerobic methane oxidation).
January 6, 2026 at 10:31 PM
😂 As stated in second comment, MCR stands for methyl coenzyme M reductase, the key enzyme in methanogenesis (and anaerobic methane oxidation).
Reposted by Roland Hatzenpichler
As I browse around, I keep an eye out for (what I think) are surprising facts.
This 2021 paper estimated that the USA, China and the UK spend USD 2.5 billion on peer review, based on the contribution made by researchers.
🧵
This 2021 paper estimated that the USA, China and the UK spend USD 2.5 billion on peer review, based on the contribution made by researchers.
🧵
January 6, 2026 at 4:09 PM
As I browse around, I keep an eye out for (what I think) are surprising facts.
This 2021 paper estimated that the USA, China and the UK spend USD 2.5 billion on peer review, based on the contribution made by researchers.
🧵
This 2021 paper estimated that the USA, China and the UK spend USD 2.5 billion on peer review, based on the contribution made by researchers.
🧵
We stress the importance of remaining agnostic about the physiology of MCR-encoding Thermoproteota (don't call them methanogens [yet]) in the absence of experimental data because most of these archaea also carry the genetic potential to grow non-methanogenically. #testthymetagenomichypotheses
January 6, 2026 at 7:54 PM
We stress the importance of remaining agnostic about the physiology of MCR-encoding Thermoproteota (don't call them methanogens [yet]) in the absence of experimental data because most of these archaea also carry the genetic potential to grow non-methanogenically. #testthymetagenomichypotheses
We highlight the necessity to experimentally test the (eco)physiology of these widely distributed archaea using both culture-dependent (in vitro) and culture-independent (in situ) approaches to assess their potential contribution to CH4 emissions. See e.g. our Methanonezha study tinyurl.com/yzrshu92
tinyurl.com
January 6, 2026 at 7:54 PM
We highlight the necessity to experimentally test the (eco)physiology of these widely distributed archaea using both culture-dependent (in vitro) and culture-independent (in situ) approaches to assess their potential contribution to CH4 emissions. See e.g. our Methanonezha study tinyurl.com/yzrshu92
These ecosystems exhibit micro to millimolar levels of methylated substrates that could fuel methanogenesis. Importantly, standing concentrations are not representative of flux rates - we need to improve our understanding of substrate-specific methanogenesis rates!
January 6, 2026 at 7:54 PM
These ecosystems exhibit micro to millimolar levels of methylated substrates that could fuel methanogenesis. Importantly, standing concentrations are not representative of flux rates - we need to improve our understanding of substrate-specific methanogenesis rates!
We hypothesize that thermoproteotal methanogens contribute, potentially substantially, to methane emissions in many anoxic environments that harbor methylated precursors that fuel their methanogenic activity, e.g., wetlands, sediments, peat, rice paddies, wastewater, and geothermal systems.
January 6, 2026 at 7:54 PM
We hypothesize that thermoproteotal methanogens contribute, potentially substantially, to methane emissions in many anoxic environments that harbor methylated precursors that fuel their methanogenic activity, e.g., wetlands, sediments, peat, rice paddies, wastewater, and geothermal systems.
We screened all publicly available, unrestricted metagenome and metatranscriptome datatsets on IMG/M (12 Tb) and the SRA (1.75 Pb). This revealed the presence of several lineages of methyl coenzyme M reductase (mcr) encoding Thermoproteota in anoxic ecosystems: wetlands, wastewater, sediments etc.
January 6, 2026 at 7:54 PM
We screened all publicly available, unrestricted metagenome and metatranscriptome datatsets on IMG/M (12 Tb) and the SRA (1.75 Pb). This revealed the presence of several lineages of methyl coenzyme M reductase (mcr) encoding Thermoproteota in anoxic ecosystems: wetlands, wastewater, sediments etc.
Currently, four cultures (from three lineages) of methanogenic Thermoproteota are available but they all were obtained from high temperature ecosystems, i.e. hot springs and an oil field. Until now, the ecology of MCR-encoding and potentially methanogenic Thermoproteota was unaddressed.
January 6, 2026 at 7:54 PM
Currently, four cultures (from three lineages) of methanogenic Thermoproteota are available but they all were obtained from high temperature ecosystems, i.e. hot springs and an oil field. Until now, the ecology of MCR-encoding and potentially methanogenic Thermoproteota was unaddressed.
New paper out in Current Opinion in Microbiology: MCR-encoding (potentially methanogenic) Thermoproteota are widespread and transcriptionally active in diverse anoxic ecosystems! @dr-zj.bsky.social, Matthew Kellom & @emileyeloe-fadrosh.bsky.social. Funded by DOE BER program. tinyurl.com/2fsyxswj 🦠🧪
January 6, 2026 at 7:54 PM
New paper out in Current Opinion in Microbiology: MCR-encoding (potentially methanogenic) Thermoproteota are widespread and transcriptionally active in diverse anoxic ecosystems! @dr-zj.bsky.social, Matthew Kellom & @emileyeloe-fadrosh.bsky.social. Funded by DOE BER program. tinyurl.com/2fsyxswj 🦠🧪
Reposted by Roland Hatzenpichler
I know many of you know Joe James (of Binning Singletons)
Joe and his family had a terrible tragedy occur on Christmas. If you can give, this is a good family to help out
gofund.me/5cbfe22fe
Joe and his family had a terrible tragedy occur on Christmas. If you can give, this is a good family to help out
gofund.me/5cbfe22fe
Donate to Honoring Sarah James Through Education, organized by Joe James
Honoring Sarah James & Supporting Her Children’s Future
On Christmas, our com… Joe James needs your support for Honoring Sarah James Through Education
gofund.me
January 1, 2026 at 10:05 PM
I know many of you know Joe James (of Binning Singletons)
Joe and his family had a terrible tragedy occur on Christmas. If you can give, this is a good family to help out
gofund.me/5cbfe22fe
Joe and his family had a terrible tragedy occur on Christmas. If you can give, this is a good family to help out
gofund.me/5cbfe22fe
Reposted by Roland Hatzenpichler
I have known Dr. Joe James for a few years through the ASM. Joe was the major force behind "Binning Singletons," matching new microbiologists with a network of mentors. He is a fine human being, & this sad news moved me. Please consider supporting his family?
www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-s...
www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-s...
Donate to Honoring Sarah James Through Education, organized by Joe James
Honoring Sarah James & Supporting Her Children’s Future
On Christmas, our com… Joe James needs your support for Honoring Sarah James Through Education
www.gofundme.com
January 1, 2026 at 11:18 PM
I have known Dr. Joe James for a few years through the ASM. Joe was the major force behind "Binning Singletons," matching new microbiologists with a network of mentors. He is a fine human being, & this sad news moved me. Please consider supporting his family?
www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-s...
www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-s...
Odd artifact. Here's the actual image.
January 1, 2026 at 6:48 PM
Odd artifact. Here's the actual image.
survive extreme conditions. Our work advances the applications of next-generation physiology techniques to document single-cell metabolic activity in a high-throughput manner in the marine deep biosphere. tinyurl.com/kfxjwj58
Tracking active heterotrophic microbial communities in the Guaymas Basin deep biosphere with BONCAT-FACS
The marine deep biosphere harbors microbial communities that drive organic matter transformations and biogeochemical cycles. Previous work on these communities has focused either on genomic characteri...
tinyurl.com
January 1, 2026 at 6:08 PM
survive extreme conditions. Our work advances the applications of next-generation physiology techniques to document single-cell metabolic activity in a high-throughput manner in the marine deep biosphere. tinyurl.com/kfxjwj58
we improve our understanding of carbon transformations and the microbial ecology of the deep biosphere, down to a depth of 154 meters below the seafloor. Our findings emphasize the ecological significance of heterotrophic microbes and the C-degrading metabolisms they use to
January 1, 2026 at 6:08 PM
we improve our understanding of carbon transformations and the microbial ecology of the deep biosphere, down to a depth of 154 meters below the seafloor. Our findings emphasize the ecological significance of heterotrophic microbes and the C-degrading metabolisms they use to
elucidated their metabolic activity in hydrothermally impacted low-biomass subsurface marine sediments. By combining activity measurements (ex situ bioorthogonal labeling of protein-synthesizing cells), 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of active (FACS-sorted) cells, and metagenomics data,
January 1, 2026 at 6:08 PM
elucidated their metabolic activity in hydrothermally impacted low-biomass subsurface marine sediments. By combining activity measurements (ex situ bioorthogonal labeling of protein-synthesizing cells), 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of active (FACS-sorted) cells, and metagenomics data,