Sarah J Tucker
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sjtucker.bsky.social
Sarah J Tucker
@sjtucker.bsky.social
Microbial ecology & evolution 🦠👩🏻‍🔬 interested in genomic, metabolic, and physiological diversity and their impacts on aquatic systems 🌊🏝️🐠

Keen on oligotrophs 💫
Post-doc @ MBL 🦀
Previous Knauss Fellow in Arctic Ocean Observing ❄️

https://sarahjtucker.com/
Pinned
I'm delighted our paper is out: doi.org/10.1093/isme...
With new SAR11 isolate genomes and time-series metagenomes, we reveal coastal and offshore SAR11 ecotypes, identify associated metabolic traits, and pinpoint selective gene sweeps as a likely evolutionary driver to niche partitioning. 🌊🦠
Habitat-specificity in SAR11 is associated with a few genes under high selection
Abstract. The order Pelagibacterales (SAR11) is the most abundant group of heterotrophic bacteria in the global surface ocean, where individual sublineages
doi.org
Reposted by Sarah J Tucker
Kudos to the @seattletimes.com for spelling with diacritical marks used in the Hawaiian language, the ʻokina and the kahakō.

A few years ago, when I asked the NY Times to spell my affiliation as University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, they refused because it went against their style guide.
Why we're using this spelling of Hawaiʻi
You may notice a change in how we spell Hawaiʻi and other Native Hawaiian words at The Seattle Times. Here's why.
www.seattletimes.com
November 8, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Reposted by Sarah J Tucker
Are you looking for a #tenuretrack or #openrank job in #biostatistics or #statistics? @fredhutch.org is hiring! Seattle is a wonderful place to grow your career; the bio/stat & science scene here is world-class; and you will work w/ amazing UW Biostat students. Apply!
apply.interfolio.com/176402
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
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November 4, 2025 at 6:57 PM
I'm delighted our paper is out: doi.org/10.1093/isme...
With new SAR11 isolate genomes and time-series metagenomes, we reveal coastal and offshore SAR11 ecotypes, identify associated metabolic traits, and pinpoint selective gene sweeps as a likely evolutionary driver to niche partitioning. 🌊🦠
Habitat-specificity in SAR11 is associated with a few genes under high selection
Abstract. The order Pelagibacterales (SAR11) is the most abundant group of heterotrophic bacteria in the global surface ocean, where individual sublineages
doi.org
October 20, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Reposted by Sarah J Tucker
I am recruiting a Ph.D. student in microbial ecology, evolution, and systems biology for fall 2026. Please share!
Details: qevomicrolab.org/Documents/Gr...
Apply by October 1 here: forms.gle/38pPS1Ky84HB...
September 2, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Reposted by Sarah J Tucker
Very happy to see this one out: doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf192
Here, we assessed the contribution of natural transformation to the acquisition of novel genes. See preprint thread. @molbioevol.bsky.social #microsky #evobio
August 27, 2025 at 1:37 PM
So much said in one (not so little) word 😆🙏
We have a winner! Verschlimmbessern - the German word for making things worse by trying to make them better.

It is a compound verb formed from two words: verschlimmern ("to make worse") and verbessern ("to improve")

The corresponding noun is die Verschlimmbesserung.
a man in a sweater says thank you so much for this in yellow letters
ALT: a man in a sweater says thank you so much for this in yellow letters
media.tenor.com
August 29, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Anyone else read 50 μm on this traffic sign? 🔬 #microsky
August 25, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Reposted by Sarah J Tucker
Applications are open for SFI's 2026 Complexity Postdoctoral Fellowships

If you’ve recently earned a Ph.D. in any scientific field and want to pursue independent, transdisciplinary research, consider applying.

Deadline: October 1, 2025
Apply here: santafe.edu/sfifellowship
July 28, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Reposted by Sarah J Tucker
📣 New C-CoMP Pub. Alert!
Interested in marine microbial metabolites 🌊🦠? If so, check out this new pub., led by Bryndan Durham & Winn Johnson, that emerged from C-CoMP's Labile DOM workshop: An ecological framework for microbial metabolites in the ocean ecosystem.
tinyurl.com/54bu2xm7
An ecological framework for microbial metabolites in the ocean ecosystem
The ocean microbe-metabolite network involves thousands of individual metabolites that encompass a breadth of chemical diversity and biological functions. These microbial metabolites mediate biogeoch....
aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
July 24, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Reposted by Sarah J Tucker
Its that time again - the list of Ecology/Evolution/Marine Bio Labs recruiting grad students for Fall 2026 is live!
PIs enter your position info here: forms.gle/2XTHBP6CZGEn...
Prospective students (and PIs not recruiting) share the composite list: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Please share! 🧪
Ecology/Evolution/Marine Biology labs recruiting for Fall 2026
Please complete this form if you are a PI recruiting graduate students for a Fall 2026 start. If you are NOT recruiting, feel free to share the response sheet with prospective students looking for lab...
forms.gle
May 15, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Reposted by Sarah J Tucker
A short preprint describing the GlobDB is now on arXiv: arxiv.org/abs/2506.11896

If you find the resource useful, please also check globdb.org for info on how to cite the underlying resources and tools.
I'm happy to announce the latest release of the GlobDB, available at globdb.org.

The GlobDB is a database of "species dereplicated" microbial genomes, and as of release 226 contains twice the number of species-representative genomes (306,260) than the latest GTDB release.
home | GlobDB
globdb.org
June 16, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Reposted by Sarah J Tucker
Is this the mechanism by which excess substrate inhibits growth in oligotrophs?

Very important and cool work by @ahoiching.bsky.social @jcamthrash.bsky.social and others
Cell cycle dysregulation of globally important SAR11 bacteria resulting from environmental perturbation https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.25.661606v1
June 26, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Reposted by Sarah J Tucker
‼️I'm looking for a postdoc‼️ Come join effort in using metagenomes to quantify microbial catabolic potential and carbon substrate availability at the ecosystem level. We seek to understand evolutionary forces shaping the carbon cycle. Part of ccomp-stc.org

careers.peopleclick.com/careerscp/cl...
Postdoctoral Associate
MIT - Postdoctoral Associate - Cambridge MA 02139
careers.peopleclick.com
June 18, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Reposted by Sarah J Tucker
Our latest on the microbiology of SAR116, led by the indefatigable Jordan Coelho:

Culture-supported ecophysiology of the SAR116 clade demonstrates metabolic and spatial niche partitioning academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc... #jcampubs
June 17, 2025 at 2:43 AM
Happy #WorldOceanDay! Resharing a piece I wrote about NOAA’s collaborative event to share the passion, science, and curiosities of ocean observing with local colleagues and community members in Cape Town 🌊🌍 globalocean.noaa.gov/gomo-support...
GOMO Supports Successful International World Ocean Day Celebration - Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing
From June 8-11th, roughly 1,000 high school students and 4,000 members of the public gathered to celebrate and learn about the oceans during a multi-day outreach event for World Ocean Day in Cape Town...
globalocean.noaa.gov
June 8, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Reposted by Sarah J Tucker
Simons Graduate Fellowships in Ecology and Evolution www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons...
Application Deadline July 31, 2025
Simons Graduate Fellowships in Ecology and Evolution
The purpose of these awards is to provide support for students entering U.S.-based Ph.D. programs with a plan to perform research in ecology and evolution. While we will consider all projects in ecolo...
www.simonsfoundation.org
June 2, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Check out our new publication 🎉: doi.org/10.1002/lno....

We used time-series analyses to identify trends in biogeochemistry and phytoplankton communities across estuarine waters within Kāneʻohe Bay of the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu to the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. 🏝️
Seasonal and spatial transitions in phytoplankton assemblages spanning estuarine to open ocean waters of the tropical Pacific
Islands in the tropical Pacific supply elevated nutrients to nearshore waters that enhance phytoplankton biomass and create hotspots of productivity in otherwise nutrient-poor oceans. Despite the imp...
doi.org
May 15, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Reposted by Sarah J Tucker
After a lot of hard work, the Global Ocean Observing System #GOOS Bio-Eco panel has released their Essential Ocean Variable spec sheets for expert review. If you're doing work with anything biological in the ocean, take a look at goosocean.org/news/call-fo... and give us your expert opinion! #IOOS
Call for Expert Input: Consultation on Biology and Ecosystems Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) – Global Ocean Observing System
goosocean.org
May 8, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Reposted by Sarah J Tucker
Please, #microbiome and #sequencing data are NOT zero-inflated. Let's stop repeating this nonsense. Zero-inflated compared to what?? Those zeroes carry important information about abundance and sequencing depth, and are not "inflated" in any sense. 1/6
May 6, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Congrats and thank you @floriantrigodet.bsky.social, for sharing these important and sometimes surprising considerations for your long-read assemblies! 👏👏
April 29, 2025 at 6:05 AM
Lots of great insights 😎
April 16, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Excited to have my work featured and to be able to work with so many amazing scientists within CCoMP 💗🌊🦠
Sarah is currently studying SAR11 🌊- a major player in the global carbon cycle and arguably the most abundant organism on 🌎! Sarah enjoys using science to inspire curiosity about microbes and to build relationships. Learn more about Sarah here: sarahjtucker.com.
February 24, 2025 at 6:36 PM
One of the best experiences of my PhD :)
February 3, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Reposted by Sarah J Tucker
📣 SAR11 Alert 🚨👇
Check out these two new pre-prints from @merenbey.bsky.social, @sjtucker.bsky.social, and colleagues about SAR11 🦠🌊!
Very proud that these just appeared in bioRxiv:

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... (reports 71 new SAR11 isolates, proposes names for 24 SAR11 genera).

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... (investigates the pangenome and metabolic determinants of habitat specificity in SAR11).

Wishing you a great 2025!
January 8, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Reposted by Sarah J Tucker
Very proud that these just appeared in bioRxiv:

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... (reports 71 new SAR11 isolates, proposes names for 24 SAR11 genera).

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... (investigates the pangenome and metabolic determinants of habitat specificity in SAR11).

Wishing you a great 2025!
December 25, 2024 at 9:57 AM