News since 2022:
November 2024 -- new paper in Nature Microbiology -- this exciting project revealed that certain human-targeted drugs strongly disrupt the activity of many microbes in the large intestine. This was shown using new single-cell chemical imaging techniques that provide unique insights into microbial activity, that DNA-sequencing methods can't "see". Interestingly, it also showed one of the drugs binds iron, meaning it deprives microbes of this vital nutrient. This work was led by researchers from the Uni. of Vienna, Uni. of Southampton and Boston Uni. Ken was lucky enough to have helped with some lab work and bioinformatics! https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-024-01853-0
September 2024 -- paper now out in mSystems - we took a large-scale bioinformatic dive to predict all secreted proteins from whole microbial communities in wastewater treatment plants by analysing the genomes of over 1000 metagenome-assembled genomes. This provides new insights into the potential of how different members of the complex communities degrade organic material -- a key function in wastewater treatment. https://doi.org/10.1128/msystems.00301-24
September 2024 -- new Master of Research students -- we welcome Maxim and Elliot to the lab -- their projects include looking at marine bacteria that grow using nucleobase-based metabolites, and continuing on with looking at interactions of nucleic acid-degraders with other microbes in marine environments!
August 2024 -- new paper in Nature -- it was exciting to contribute to this large team effort to discover guanidine catabolism in comammox bacteria. Ken contributed to elucidating the function in wastewater treatment plants! This has important implications in understanding the nitrogen cycle, in understanding niches of comammox, isolating comammox, and potentially controlling N₂O emmissions from agriculture. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07832-z
August 2024 -- new paper in Environmental Pollution -- this work revealed a new isotope fractionation pattern for Aromatoleum when degrading toluene via nitrate-reduction -- this shows slight differences in enzymes (or other factors) among strains can influence isotopic fractionation, which is important to understand when intepreting such data from in situ biodegradation. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07832-z
February 2024 -- we welcome Holly who will do a PhD 4 month rotation stay in the lab as part of the Socobio DTP -- Holly will dive into learning and applying bioinformatic approaches to explore micropollutant-degrading potential in marine ecosystems!
February 2024 -- new preprint alert -- we predict secreted proteins from whole bacterial communities in wastewater treatment plants by analysing the genomes of over 1000 metagenome-assembled genomes. This provides new insights into the potential of how different members of the complex communities degrade organic material -- a key function in wastewater. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.02.27.582363
January 2024 -- Big congrats to Olivia and Michael for completing their MRes projects! And a further special congrats to Olivia who landed an ERC-funded PhD position at the University of Stuttgart with Prof. Sara Kleindienst! Very cool.
September 2023 -- new Master of Research student -- we welcome Chris to the lab -- his project will look at the interactions nucleic acid-degraders have with other microbes in marine environments! Should be fun!
July 2023 -- new paper in Environmental Microbiology -- happy to contribute with genomic and bioinformatic analyses on this project where Jesica and team studied the protein interactions of organohalide-respiring Dehalobacter during reductive dechlorination of halogenated compounds. https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16464
June 2023 -- new commentaty mBio -- grateful for the opportunity to write a commentary piece on a nice paper describing the ecological controls that sulfate-reducers exert over other microbes in marine sediments. https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.00513-23
June 2023 -- new paper in Environmental Science and Pollution Research -- we characterised the proteome of anaerobic DCM-degrading Dehalobacterium formicoaceticum to show a novel genes cluster encoding certain methyltransferases is likely involved in the degradation of this toxic pollutant. Big credit to Alba who did a big chunk of this work! https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-28144-1
February 2023 -- new paper in ES&T -- happy to have contributed to work with the Barcelona team led by Dr Jordi Palau and Dr Ernest Marco-Urrea that revealed dual C–Br isotope fractionation patterns that indicate distinct reductive dehalogenation 1,2-dibromoethane mechanisms by Dehalococcoides- and Dehalogenimonas-containing cultures. This elegant work can help understand the key players in biodegradation of 1,2-DBA in contaminated sites. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.2c07137
January 2023 -- new Master of Research student -- we welcome Olivia to the lab! Olivia will kick-off the marine micropollutant biodegradation project, with the aim to identify biodegraders of model micropollutants in marine systems, using a combination of culture and molecular analyses. Keen to see what this finds! I think Olivia is even more keen!
January 2023 -- new Master of Research student -- we welcome Michael to the lab! Michael will use Nanopore-based metagenomics to recover and analyse the first genomes of bacterial epibionts of "Yeti Hof crabs". The crabs live at hydrothermal vents near Antarctica by farming sulfur-oxidizing bacteria on their bodies and eating them! This work is made possible through a nice collaboration with Yeti crab expert Dr Nicolai Roterman and Nanopore guru Dr Sam Robson, both of University of Portsmouth!
January 2023 -- new paper in STOTEN -- in collaboration with Dr Daniel Sauter and Dr Myriel Cooper from TU Berlin, we describe the microbial communities associated with organic micropollutant treatment in tertiary wastewater treatment processes on pilot-scale, biologically activated carbon (BAC) and anthracite biofilters. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159265
November 2022 -- new paper in mSystems -- with great work from Aalborg University Master student Roberto Sánchez-Navarro and team, this work shows diverse and extensive potential for secondary/specialized metabolite production in activated sludge bacterial genomes. They could therefore be an important source of novel antimicrobial or other biotechnological compounds. doi: 10.1128/msystems.00632-22
March 2022 -- new paper in STOTEN -- Ken contributed to the molecular analyses of Dehalobacter cultures that revealed a third contrasting C and Cl isotope fractionation of the pollutant trichloromethane (TCM) -- happy for talented first author Jesica! doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152659
February 2022 -- new paper in The ISME Journal -- together with Dr Caitlin Singleton and the awesome team from Aalborg University, Denmark, we reveal that one of the most important phosphorus-removing bacterial groups in wastewater treatment plants worldwide actually belong to a novel genus ‘Candidatus Phosphoribacter’ (previously thought to be Tetrasphaera). This was made possible by high-quality, Nanopore-based metagenomics and detailed comparative genomics. doi: 10.1038/s41396-022-01212-z
January 2022 -- Ken started as Lecturer for Environmental Microbiology, at University of Portsmouth, UK. Excited to promote and share the amazing world of microbes in the environment in both teaching and research. Also very happy to have landed with really supportive and friendly colleagues. And thankful/grateful to have had great support and mentoring from all my Postdoc and PhD supervisors over the years!