Wilhelm Lab at the University of Tennessee

Microcystis plasmids: the unexplored portion of the mobilome and the presence of potential phage-like plasmids Abstract. While resequencing Microcystis aeruginosa (PCC7806) and its nontoxigenic mutant (PCC7806 ΔmcyB), we discovered identical unreported plasmids in b

New research indicates that Microcystis plasmids from lab strains and Lake Erie metatranscriptomes are transcriptionally active, ecologically relevant, and may have genetic overlap with phages. From Gwen Stark and colleagues....

academic.oup.com/ismecommun/a...

Still accepting applications for our plant-microbe person.

Sub-daily Bermuda Atlantic Time Series virus sampling reveals taxonomy, host, and functional differences at the population, but not community level Ocean microbes contribute to biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem function, but they do so under top-down pressure imposed by viruses. While viruses are increasingly understood spatially and beginning ...

Well done Alfonso & team! High-frequency sampling of Bermuda Atlantic Time Series waters revealed depth and diel viral dynamics, providing insights into short-term virus-host interactions. @joshuasweitz.bsky.social @sullivan-lab.bsky.social

www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...

Its graduate school application time! Positions come with guaranteed stipend, tuition and health care coverage.

Be part of our global network of students, scientists, and ocean advocates.

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Find out more - mba.ac.uk/our-membership/

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

New: After a long wait, the GRFP solicitation is live! Deadlines have been extended to early November, so applicants have a bit over a month to submit. www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

🧪The NSF has made changes to the GRFP solicitation and eligibility TODAY that may change your eligibility! PLEASE read through the solicitation if you were planning to apply and speak to your mentors about the merits of applying: www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

It is that time of year again. The Department of Microbiology is accepting applications for its PhD and MSc programs. Come join us!

Come join us in Knoxville. Faculty position looking for those interested in the quantitative aspects of phototroph-microbe interactions.

Very excited for Alex Truchon and his defense today. Giant viruses, algal blooms, DNA methylation and more....

Microbiology and Immunology and the Michael Smith Labs are seeking candidates for an Assistant Professor of Teaching in STEM Public Engagement position.

Learn more and apply at: www.msl.ubc.ca/careers/

#IndigenousinSTEM #BlackInNature #WomenInSTEM #MinoritiesInSTEM #DiversityInSTEM #STEMEducation

How long do the effects of a decomposing animal last? Nine years after decomposing a colony of beavers, aka beaverhenge, we revisit the scene to find out.

Electron micrograph of two phage infecting a host cell side-by-side, with hearts between them

Do you love phage? I have an opening for a postdoc in my lab at the University of South Florida College of Marine Science (@cmarinescience.bsky.social) looking at interactions between marine phage and iron, which is an important limiting trace metal in the oceans (1/5) 🧵#phagesky 🦠🌊

First report of nodularin production by Nostochopsis sp. in a temperate eutrophic lake Benthic cyanobacteria are understudied in comparison to their planktonic counterparts. Consequently, our understanding of cyanotoxin production in ben…

Benthic cyanobacteria are overlooked in fresh waters yet their effects on system function (and ability to make toxins) should not be.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Epigenome analysis of an algae-infecting giant virus reveals a unique methylation motif catalogue DNA methylation can epigenetically alter gene expression and serve as a mechanism for genomic stabilization. Advancements in long-read sequencing technology have allowed for increased exploration into...

The DNA sequence of an organism is just the start of the story: @atruch.bsky.social digs into the methylation patterns and motifs in the genome of Kratosvirus quantuckense, a giant virus infecting the brown tide forming pelagophyte Aureococcus anophagefferens

www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...

The ornithine-arginine cycle supported a toxic, metalimnic Planktothrix rubescens bloom Planktothrix rubescens is distinct from other cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom (cHAB) genera: the crimson-red cHAB thrives in the cold, low-light, nutrient-limited metalimnion. Studies have attribut...

OK. So you get a motivated postdoc @zepernickbn.bsky.social, who teaches a class of great graduate students, and then some support from the institution and a lot of great labs. Find yourself a nice pink algal bloom in the early spring and....science happens.

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

A cool microbial story with UTIA's @jdebruyn.bsky.social - talking dead stuff.....

🌟 Exciting news! We’re launching three fully-funded postdoc positions for "New Horizons for Synthetic Phages”

Join us in tackling antimicrobial resistance with cutting-edge synthetic biology + AI bioinformatics. Based at Flinders Uni in vibrant Adelaide.

👇 Read on for details!
#Phage

Metagenome-assembled genome of Synechococcus sp. “Tanasi” from the Tellico Reservoir, Tennessee, USA | Microbiology Resource Announcements Picocyanobacteria, especially members of the Synechococcus collective (1), contribute to primary productivity, food webs, and biogeochemical cycles of fresh and marine waters worldwide (2). The Synech...

The first contribution from David Niknejad's thesis: a collaboration with UTIA and the Watershed Association of the Tellico Reservoir to start applying molecular tools to the Tellico Reservoir. Thanks to USC's @eric-a-webb.bsky.social for jumping in to help!
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

We are looking for a new @thembauk.bsky.social Anne Warner Research Fellow (5 year post) to develop an independent research group in the area of cell and molecular biology of marine organisms here in #Plymouth 🔬🦠🧫🧬 mymba.mba.ac.uk/job-listing....

This is a great opportunity to pursue a PhD in marine virology, at a wonderful location, and terrific supervisors. Not to mention that it includes opportunities to do part of the work at UBC.

Identification of shared viral sequences in peat moss metagenomes reveals elements of a possible Sphagnum core virome - Environmental Microbiome Viruses are an understudied component of plant microbiomes. Identifying viruses that are shared between individual plants, or members of the “core virome”, could reveal stable viral populations with t...

Nice teaming up with our ORNL colleagues to pull together this story. Liz D and the gang examining virus diversity in Sphagnum.

doi.org/10.1186/s407...

Many phytoplankton are affected by climate change via changes in temperature & pH, but to winter diatoms, it appears the issue is light.
🔗rebrand.ly/jsfhiow

@zepernickbn.bsky.social @tn-marine-micro.bsky.social @eechase.bsky.social @utkmicrobiology.bsky.social @unc-emes.bsky.social

OK. A little slow here (travel) but excited to see this work acknowledged amongst so many good papers

Congratulations to @jianhuaguo.bsky.social; @zepernickbn.bsky.social, R. Michael L. McKay, @tn-marine-micro.bsky.social; and Fabian Grein for their outstanding and impactful articles published in The ISME Journal.
View the articles on isme-microbes.org/the-isme-jou...
#MicrobialEcology #microbes

Mitomycin C eliminates cyanobacterial transcription without detectable prophage induction in a Microcystis-dominated harmful algal bloom in Lake Erie | Microbiology Spectrum Harmful algal blooms dominated by Microcystis spp. occur throughout the world’s freshwater ecosystems, leading to detrimental effects on ecosystem services that are well documented. After decades of r...

What happens when you do a deep-dive on a classic technique that returns strange results? You might find the technique does not work - at least in your system. 🤔

Kudos to Robbie, Lena et al.

On mitomycin-c for inducing lysogens in a harmful cyanobacterial bloom.

journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Congrats to @ab-knox.bsky.social, Kurt Konhauser, and all the other news fellow of the AAAS!

www.aaas.org/programs/fel...

Was happy to read Randall Brown's take on our work

artsci.utk.edu/microbial-ma...

Signs of Life in Thawing Lake Erie As winter turned to spring, ice cover on the lake diminished to reveal colorful billows of sediment and phytoplankton.

Nice to chat with NASA's Lindsey Doermann and GLIER's Mike McKay about this year's ice on Lake Erie and the great imagery that NASA provides scientists...

earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/15407...

Diel partitioning in microbial phosphorus acquisition in the Sargasso Sea | PNAS The daily cycle of photosynthetic primary production at the base of marine food webs is often limited by the availability of scarce nutrients. Micr...

New @pnas.org paper alert, led by QBioS PhD Daniel Muratore & now Omidyar Fellow @sfiscience.bsky.social, Naomi Gilbert, Gary LeCleir & @tn-marine-micro.bsky.social: we find evidence for diel partitioning in microbial phosphorus uptake in the Sargasso.

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...