Karthik Anantharaman
@karthik-a.bsky.social
Associate Professor at UW-Madison. Interested in Microbial and Viral Ecology, Computational Biology, Biogeochemistry, Sulfur Metabolism🦠💻 Hero to a toddler • Metalhead • Views mine
Reposted by Karthik Anantharaman
A wonderful collaboration between my lab and Andy Ellington and Edward Marcotte here at UT.
We obtained lots of thermal stable plastic degrading enzymes from the deep sea (Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California)
We obtained lots of thermal stable plastic degrading enzymes from the deep sea (Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California)
Plastic degradation by enzymes from uncultured deep sea microorganisms
Abstract. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-hydrolyzing enzymes (PETases) are a recently discovered enzyme class capable of plastic degradation. PETases are
academic.oup.com
November 10, 2025 at 6:04 PM
A wonderful collaboration between my lab and Andy Ellington and Edward Marcotte here at UT.
We obtained lots of thermal stable plastic degrading enzymes from the deep sea (Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California)
We obtained lots of thermal stable plastic degrading enzymes from the deep sea (Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California)
Delighted and honored to meet with the one and only Bruce Levin today who was the MDTP student invited speaker at UW-Madison!
October 23, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Delighted and honored to meet with the one and only Bruce Levin today who was the MDTP student invited speaker at UW-Madison!
New review paper on metabolic handoffs in microbiomes led by PhD student Katie Klier.
We define major types of metabolic handoffs, examine their drivers and benefits, & describe their importance in different complex microbial systems and environments.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
We define major types of metabolic handoffs, examine their drivers and benefits, & describe their importance in different complex microbial systems and environments.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
An updated view of metabolic handoffs in microbiomes
From the human gut to the deep ocean, diverse microbial communities underpin essential ecosystem processes. Limited understanding of the dynamics and …
www.sciencedirect.com
August 29, 2025 at 2:05 PM
New review paper on metabolic handoffs in microbiomes led by PhD student Katie Klier.
We define major types of metabolic handoffs, examine their drivers and benefits, & describe their importance in different complex microbial systems and environments.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
We define major types of metabolic handoffs, examine their drivers and benefits, & describe their importance in different complex microbial systems and environments.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
An updated view of metabolic handoffs in microbiomes
From the human gut to the deep ocean, diverse microbial communities underpin essential ecosystem processes. Limited understanding of the dynamics and …
www.sciencedirect.com
August 29, 2025 at 1:30 PM
New review paper on metabolic handoffs in microbiomes led by PhD student Katie Klier.
We define major types of metabolic handoffs, examine their drivers and benefits, & describe their importance in different complex microbial systems and environments.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
We define major types of metabolic handoffs, examine their drivers and benefits, & describe their importance in different complex microbial systems and environments.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Karthik Anantharaman
📢 New paper in @nature.com
Microbes rock 🎸🤘 with sulfide and iron minerals
I am very excited to share our recent study, which describes a previously unknown microbial energy metabolism ⚡⚡⚡🦠🧫⚡⚡⚡
🆕 Microbial iron oxide respiration coupled to sulfide oxidation - MISO
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Microbes rock 🎸🤘 with sulfide and iron minerals
I am very excited to share our recent study, which describes a previously unknown microbial energy metabolism ⚡⚡⚡🦠🧫⚡⚡⚡
🆕 Microbial iron oxide respiration coupled to sulfide oxidation - MISO
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Microbial iron oxide respiration coupled to sulfide oxidation - Nature
Genomic and biochemical analyses of prokaryotic sulfur metabolism identify diverse microorganisms with the capacity to oxidize sulfide using iron(iii).
www.nature.com
August 27, 2025 at 8:17 PM
📢 New paper in @nature.com
Microbes rock 🎸🤘 with sulfide and iron minerals
I am very excited to share our recent study, which describes a previously unknown microbial energy metabolism ⚡⚡⚡🦠🧫⚡⚡⚡
🆕 Microbial iron oxide respiration coupled to sulfide oxidation - MISO
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Microbes rock 🎸🤘 with sulfide and iron minerals
I am very excited to share our recent study, which describes a previously unknown microbial energy metabolism ⚡⚡⚡🦠🧫⚡⚡⚡
🆕 Microbial iron oxide respiration coupled to sulfide oxidation - MISO
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
New paper alert! We suggest caution in the analyses of viral auxiliary metabolic genes and propose a new overarching term - 'auxiliary viral genes' (AVGs) to describe different types of such genes. @simrouxvirus.bsky.social #phagesky #Microsky www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A call for caution in the biological interpretation of viral auxiliary metabolic genes - Nature Microbiology
This Perspective discusses virus-encoded auxiliary metabolic genes and provides a framework for the biological interpretation of these genes.
www.nature.com
August 27, 2025 at 12:24 PM
New paper alert! We suggest caution in the analyses of viral auxiliary metabolic genes and propose a new overarching term - 'auxiliary viral genes' (AVGs) to describe different types of such genes. @simrouxvirus.bsky.social #phagesky #Microsky www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Karthik Anantharaman
Advice from NSF: grant proposals can still include outreach, community engagement, and so on. But avoid specifying particular groups
June 20, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Advice from NSF: grant proposals can still include outreach, community engagement, and so on. But avoid specifying particular groups
Reposted by Karthik Anantharaman
Tomorrow at 12:45-1:30 in the EEB Track Hub in the poster hall #ASMmicrobe I am talking about microbial diversity including Asgard archaea, and an expanded tree of life from marine sediments.
June 20, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Tomorrow at 12:45-1:30 in the EEB Track Hub in the poster hall #ASMmicrobe I am talking about microbial diversity including Asgard archaea, and an expanded tree of life from marine sediments.
Excited to be a part of this effort from Mandy Joye's group showing the role of heterotrophs in deep sea carbon cycling!
Deep-sea #hydrothermal plumes support an array of microbial metabolisms, but the fate of organic C is unknown. Here, the authors used metabolic rate assays and metagenomic data to show that heterotrophic bacteria contribute significantly to C cycling in the deep #sea.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Elevated heterotrophic activity in Guaymas Basin hydrothermal plumes influences deep-sea carbon cycling - Nature Communications
Deep-sea hydrothermal plumes support an array of microbial metabolisms, but the fate of organic carbon in these systems is unknown. Here, the authors used metabolic rate assays and metagenomic data to...
www.nature.com
June 3, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Excited to be a part of this effort from Mandy Joye's group showing the role of heterotrophs in deep sea carbon cycling!
Reposted by Karthik Anantharaman
Ultrafast and accurate sequence alignment and clustering of viral genomes | Nature Methods https://www.nature.com/articles/s41592-025-02701-7
Ultrafast and accurate sequence alignment and clustering of viral genomes - Nature Methods
Vclust generates fast and accurate estimation of average nucleotide identity for viral genomes, scaling clustering to millions of genomes.
www.nature.com
May 15, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Ultrafast and accurate sequence alignment and clustering of viral genomes | Nature Methods https://www.nature.com/articles/s41592-025-02701-7
Reposted by Karthik Anantharaman
Very excited this part of my PhD is out 🎉 We describe vent viral and microbial traits that govern viral biogeography and contribute to mounting evidence that these communities are highly endemic, and thus likely vulnerable to disruptive activities like deep sea mining
#Microbiome #DeepSeaMining
#Microbiome #DeepSeaMining
Excited to share our lab's latest work led by PhD student
@maggielangwig.bsky.social
describing the ecology and evolution of viruses in globally distributed hydrothermal vents.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@maggielangwig.bsky.social
describing the ecology and evolution of viruses in globally distributed hydrothermal vents.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Endemism shapes viral ecology and evolution in globally distributed hydrothermal vent ecosystems - Nature Communications
Viruses are pivotal players in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, shaping microbiomes by preying on key hosts. Through a global-scale analysis of vent viruses and their interactions, this study reveals that...
www.nature.com
May 5, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Very excited this part of my PhD is out 🎉 We describe vent viral and microbial traits that govern viral biogeography and contribute to mounting evidence that these communities are highly endemic, and thus likely vulnerable to disruptive activities like deep sea mining
#Microbiome #DeepSeaMining
#Microbiome #DeepSeaMining
Reposted by Karthik Anantharaman
A few weeks ago we met in the Scottish Highlands to launch our HFSP @hfspo.bsky.social funded project on virus-prokaryotic interactions in wetlands and impact on the methane cycle. What a fantastic team to be part of. @karthik-a.bsky.social @soilmicrobes.bsky.social & Joanne Emerson
May 6, 2025 at 9:11 AM
A few weeks ago we met in the Scottish Highlands to launch our HFSP @hfspo.bsky.social funded project on virus-prokaryotic interactions in wetlands and impact on the methane cycle. What a fantastic team to be part of. @karthik-a.bsky.social @soilmicrobes.bsky.social & Joanne Emerson
Excited to share our lab's latest work led by PhD student
@maggielangwig.bsky.social
describing the ecology and evolution of viruses in globally distributed hydrothermal vents.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@maggielangwig.bsky.social
describing the ecology and evolution of viruses in globally distributed hydrothermal vents.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Endemism shapes viral ecology and evolution in globally distributed hydrothermal vent ecosystems - Nature Communications
Viruses are pivotal players in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, shaping microbiomes by preying on key hosts. Through a global-scale analysis of vent viruses and their interactions, this study reveals that...
www.nature.com
May 5, 2025 at 6:18 AM
Excited to share our lab's latest work led by PhD student
@maggielangwig.bsky.social
describing the ecology and evolution of viruses in globally distributed hydrothermal vents.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@maggielangwig.bsky.social
describing the ecology and evolution of viruses in globally distributed hydrothermal vents.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Endemism shapes viral ecology and evolution in globally distributed hydrothermal vent ecosystems - Nature Communications
Viruses are pivotal players in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, shaping microbiomes by preying on key hosts. Through a global-scale analysis of vent viruses and their interactions, this study reveals that...
www.nature.com
May 5, 2025 at 6:18 AM
Excited to share our lab's latest work led by PhD student
@maggielangwig.bsky.social
describing the ecology and evolution of viruses in globally distributed hydrothermal vents.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@maggielangwig.bsky.social
describing the ecology and evolution of viruses in globally distributed hydrothermal vents.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Karthik Anantharaman
Come and work with me!
The Nature Micro team is expanding and we're looking for someone to champion microbial ecology, plant micro & related areas for the journal
Knowledge of microbial ecology/plant micro is desirable but we're open to applications from all microbiologists
Link below 👇
The Nature Micro team is expanding and we're looking for someone to champion microbial ecology, plant micro & related areas for the journal
Knowledge of microbial ecology/plant micro is desirable but we're open to applications from all microbiologists
Link below 👇
📢We are #hiring a full time editor to handle areas including microbial ecology & plant microbiology🦠🌱
This position will work closely with @naturecomms.bsky.social
#microsky #microbiomesky #ecologysky 🧪
Available in NYC, Madrid, or other US offices
Read more & apply here: shorturl.at/yvdYJ
This position will work closely with @naturecomms.bsky.social
#microsky #microbiomesky #ecologysky 🧪
Available in NYC, Madrid, or other US offices
Read more & apply here: shorturl.at/yvdYJ
Associate or Senior Editor (Nature Microbiology), Nature Communications
Title: Associate or Senior Editor (Nature Microbiology), Nature Communications Organisation: Nature Portfolio Locations: New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Jersey City or Madrid – hybrid working m...
springernature.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com
April 11, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Come and work with me!
The Nature Micro team is expanding and we're looking for someone to champion microbial ecology, plant micro & related areas for the journal
Knowledge of microbial ecology/plant micro is desirable but we're open to applications from all microbiologists
Link below 👇
The Nature Micro team is expanding and we're looking for someone to champion microbial ecology, plant micro & related areas for the journal
Knowledge of microbial ecology/plant micro is desirable but we're open to applications from all microbiologists
Link below 👇
Reposted by Karthik Anantharaman
Our perspective on soil virus ecology research is out!
Fantastic collab with
@christinahazard.bsky.social @karthik-a.bsky.social @lukehillary.bsky.social @urineri.bsky.social @simrouxvirus.bsky.social @gtrubl.bsky.social @KurtWilliams @jeffinerca.bsky.social @graemenicol.bsky.social @JoanneEmerson
Fantastic collab with
@christinahazard.bsky.social @karthik-a.bsky.social @lukehillary.bsky.social @urineri.bsky.social @simrouxvirus.bsky.social @gtrubl.bsky.social @KurtWilliams @jeffinerca.bsky.social @graemenicol.bsky.social @JoanneEmerson
Beneath the surface: Unsolved questions in soil virus ecology
Soil virus ecology is an exciting but still nascent field of research in soil microbiology. While there has been a recent surge in soil virus research…
www.sciencedirect.com
March 13, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Our perspective on soil virus ecology research is out!
Fantastic collab with
@christinahazard.bsky.social @karthik-a.bsky.social @lukehillary.bsky.social @urineri.bsky.social @simrouxvirus.bsky.social @gtrubl.bsky.social @KurtWilliams @jeffinerca.bsky.social @graemenicol.bsky.social @JoanneEmerson
Fantastic collab with
@christinahazard.bsky.social @karthik-a.bsky.social @lukehillary.bsky.social @urineri.bsky.social @simrouxvirus.bsky.social @gtrubl.bsky.social @KurtWilliams @jeffinerca.bsky.social @graemenicol.bsky.social @JoanneEmerson
Reposted by Karthik Anantharaman
Amidst all the bad news, I still want to share two new preprints from our lab group. The first is led by newly minted Dr. Michelle Hauer, in collaboration with @karthik-a.bsky.social @katiekliermicrobe.bsky.social and @maggielangwig.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Phage interactions may contribute to the population structure and dynamics of hydrothermal vent microbial symbionts
Deep-sea hydrothermal vent ecosystems are sustained by chemoautotrophic bacteria that symbiotically provide organic matter to their animal hosts through the oxidation of chemical reductants in vent fl...
www.biorxiv.org
March 3, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Amidst all the bad news, I still want to share two new preprints from our lab group. The first is led by newly minted Dr. Michelle Hauer, in collaboration with @karthik-a.bsky.social @katiekliermicrobe.bsky.social and @maggielangwig.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
This was published in the top newspaper in India. So much for "news". timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/w...
World's only freshwater river 'Ganga' with a remarkable 50 times faster elimination of germs, says expert | Delhi News - The Times of India
Despite over 60 crore visitors and countless holy dips during Maha Kumbh, the Ganga remains germ-free. A study by Padma Shri Dr. Ajay Sonkar reveals G
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
February 24, 2025 at 5:14 AM
This was published in the top newspaper in India. So much for "news". timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/w...
Our lab had a great time at the IBSE Microbiome Symposium. Looking forward to this in the future again.
February 22, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Our lab had a great time at the IBSE Microbiome Symposium. Looking forward to this in the future again.
It was great to host @jeffinerca.bsky.social and learn about her inspirational work in the persistence of soil carbon. Hosted by the IBSE Microbiome Symposium at IIT Madras.
February 21, 2025 at 9:23 AM
It was great to host @jeffinerca.bsky.social and learn about her inspirational work in the persistence of soil carbon. Hosted by the IBSE Microbiome Symposium at IIT Madras.
Great talk by Tanja Woyke on very exciting upcoming technological advancements in single cell genomics at @jgi.doe.gov Hosted by the IBSE Microbiome Symposium at IIT Madras.
February 21, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Great talk by Tanja Woyke on very exciting upcoming technological advancements in single cell genomics at @jgi.doe.gov Hosted by the IBSE Microbiome Symposium at IIT Madras.
Excited and grateful to have Brett Baker and Paul Wilmes at the IBSE Microbiome Symposium at IIT Madras. Forever amazed by their brilliant science. @archaeal.bsky.social @paulwilmes.bsky.social
February 21, 2025 at 5:12 AM
Excited and grateful to have Brett Baker and Paul Wilmes at the IBSE Microbiome Symposium at IIT Madras. Forever amazed by their brilliant science. @archaeal.bsky.social @paulwilmes.bsky.social
Cody Martin from lab our presenting his work on deep learning and the development of 'PST' for viral ecology at the IBSE Microbiome Symposium at IIT Madras in Chennai, India.
February 21, 2025 at 4:58 AM
Cody Martin from lab our presenting his work on deep learning and the development of 'PST' for viral ecology at the IBSE Microbiome Symposium at IIT Madras in Chennai, India.
Reposted by Karthik Anantharaman
Phage taxonomy doesn’t have to be taxing, my latest cartoon for the Phage journal. To illustrate 𝘁𝗮𝘅𝗠𝘆𝗣𝗵𝗮𝗴𝗲 lnkd.in/dAXK4sSt @milja001.bsky.social
February 20, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Phage taxonomy doesn’t have to be taxing, my latest cartoon for the Phage journal. To illustrate 𝘁𝗮𝘅𝗠𝘆𝗣𝗵𝗮𝗴𝗲 lnkd.in/dAXK4sSt @milja001.bsky.social
Excited to have Jill Banfield present the opening keynote at the IBSE Microbiome Symposium at IIT Madras yesterday.
February 20, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Excited to have Jill Banfield present the opening keynote at the IBSE Microbiome Symposium at IIT Madras yesterday.