Breathing both ways: simultaneous aerobic–anaerobic respiration in microbes
Pleased to share this article with @asm.org .
Pleased to share our preprint on a cultivation system for cable bacteria using artificial sediments, removing the variability of natural samples. The system supports growth, serial transfer, and recapitulates key geochemical gradients and microbial interactions.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Sincere thanks to all coauthors at the @cemau.bsky.social, and to colleagues @leodigel.bsky.social, @ianpgm.bsky.social
It was a really great collaboration with @electromicrobe.bsky.social and others at the @cemau.bsky.social . Sincere thanks to all coauthors for their contributions.
Excited to share our paper in @cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social
We explore how microbes can simultaneously use oxygen and alternative electron acceptors, reshaping how we think about respiration. We also discuss the evolutionary context and how it can be studied.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Happy to share our work in @natcomms.nature.com
Link: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We show that cable bacteria can actively grow under anoxic conditions using extracellular electron transfer to insoluble electron acceptors, with growth rates comparable to aerobic respiration.
Throwback to our Retreat
Time away created space for reflection, connection and discussions. Sharing research perspectives highlighted the value of exchanging knowledge and aligning where we stand.
Stronger collaborations and connections across projects. Grateful for the insights and great moments🙌
Congratulations to @kartiksaiyer.bsky.social and co-authors for a new publication showing that cable bacteria can grow under anoxic conditions via extracellular electron transfer, with growth rates comparable to those of aerobic respiration (👉see link in comments)
Microorganisms have historically been classified as obligate aerobes or anaerobes, facultative anaerobes, or microaerophiles, reflecting differences in respiratory strategies dictated by the use of oxygen and alternative electron acceptors. Recent discoveries provide evidence that a deviant strategy, the concurrent reduction of oxygen and other electron acceptors, is more widespread than previously thought. Such co-respiring bacteria employ hybrid metabolic strategies that extend models of electron acceptor use. In this review, we investigate mechanisms of co-respiration, summarize the biochemical components enabling parallel electron flow, and discuss the regulation of aerobic and anaerobic pathways under changing redox conditions. We also examine the evolutionary context of these strategies during the rise of oxygen on early Earth and outline experimental approaches needed to resolve co-respiration in individual cells.
In this study, the authors show that cable bacteria perform extracellular electron transfer via direct and flavin-mediated pathways, which enables growth under anoxic conditions at rates comparable to...
