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Nature Catalysis, Published online: 26 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41929-026-01498-8Biological nitrogen fixation is vital for sustainable agriculture, yet nitrogenase engineering is hindered by limited insight into their essential metallocluster cofactor assembly and transfer. Here, by capturing the nitrogenase biosynthetic component NifEN in multiple structural states, a tunnel-and-switch mechanism that coordinates receipt, maturation and delivery of the FeMo-cofactor precursor is revealed.

🚨 New pre-print alert! Jumbo circular extrachromosomal elements of methane-oxidizing archaea with variably extensive metabolic and defense gene repertoires www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

How do “LEGO-like” electron-bifurcating modules combine to drive degradation in BTEX-contaminated ecosystems? Check out our latest preprint, where we use cryo-EM and cryo-ET to reveal how the 1 MDa BCRII complex powers extremely endergonic aromatic ring reduction. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

I am truly honoured and delighted to receive the GBM #PhDAward from @gbmev.bsky.social Grateful to @schullerjm.bsky.social and Prof. Volker Müller for their continuous support and guidance! www.uni-marburg.de/en/prfolder-...

Carbonic anhydrase catalyses the interconversion of CO2 and HCO3- and helps increasing the net-CO2 concentration inside cells. Why? CO2-reducing enzymes like RuBisCO are notoriously slow and ineffective. However, import of HCO3- is typically coupled to ATP consumption...

Excited to share our new paper in @natcomms.nature.com ! Here, we present the cryo-EM structure of the Cytc₆:PSI complex from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii👇 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Association of the L-cluster with the nitrogenase assembly proteins NifEN (NifENL) or NifB (NifBL) intrinsically endows these proteins with N2-reducing activity, enabling in vitro N2-reduction by Nif....

1/ Excited to share our preprint! 🥳 Degradation of aromatic compounds, including BTEX pollutants, requires highly endergonic aromatic ring reduction. Using #cryoEM and in situ #cryoET, we show how BCRII couples electron bifurcation modules in one giant redox machine www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Genus-specific remodeling of carbon and energy metabolism facilitates acetoclastic methanogenesis in Methanosarcina spp. and Methanothrix spp. #methanogens #methane #archaea #MicroSky #ArchaeaSky @asm.org journals.asm.org/doi/full/10....

The GBM #PhDAward was presented to Anuj Kumar for his PhD thesis on the „Structural basis of CO2 fixation and energy conservation in acetogens“ Congratulations, Anuj! #MK2026 @unimarburg.bsky.social

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.

Excited to share our discovery of archaeal circular, jumbo extrachromosomal elements (up to ~535 kb genomes). One related, 409-kb genome is integrated in CH4-eating Methanoperedens, representing the largest integrative element in Archaea so far! Curious about what they are doing? See the paper

Jumbo circular extrachromosomal elements of methane-oxidizing archaea with variably extensive metabolic and defense gene repertoires https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.21.700959v1