This project was recently mentioned in a @natmethods.nature.com piece written by @vivienm.bsky.social on planetary biology, @scilifelab.se and more. Check out the full article here: doi.org/10.1038/s41592-026-03063-4
We are so grateful for all the collaborators who brought their expertise to this project: Sally Leys, April Hill, Jennifer Shepherd, Fabien Pierrel, @arnausebe.bsky.social and all their team members. Please check out the preprint here: doi.org/10.64898/2026.04.08.717022
This project all started with a BLAST by a keen MSc student Mara Vizitiu who passed the torch to project lead Sofia Paraskevopoulou who brought new skills (and endless perseverance) to the team.
We aren't sure, but we think it may play a role in development, as rhodoquinone was most abundant in the 'gemmule' life stage which is enriched in stem cells AND we found rqua was upregulated in stem cells compared to other cell populations.
However, we show that Ephydatia can convert exogenous ubiquinone to rhodoquinone suggesting that sponges can source important cofactors from their diet. As for the functional role of RQUA?
We were able to show that RQUA-encoding sponges contain more rhodoquinone than other sponges and the RQUA-encoding sponge Ephydatia, can tolerate hypoxia. We found that the ubiquinone biosynthesis is not so ubiquitous in sponges; RQUA-encoding sponges lack key enzymes to synthesize ubiquinone.
We set out to confirm that this gene is in fact embedded in the sponge chromosome - and it was! Together we phylogenetic analysis, we conclude this gene was acquired from a euglenozoan-like protist by lateral gene transfer 30-300 mya likely coinciding with their transition to freshwater.
We stumbled upon an unusual gene called 'rqua' in the genome of some freshwater sponges. In microbes, this gene confers the ability to make a ubiquinone analog - rhodoquinone - which can help the respiratory chain run without oxygen.
This project was recently discussed in the @natmethods.nature.com piece on Planetary Biology @scilifelab.se and more written by @vivienm.bsky.social you can read about it here: doi.org/10.1038/s41592-026-03063-4
We show that a RQUA encoding sponge can covert exogenous ubiquinone to rhodoquinone, suggesting that sponges can acquire ubiquinone from its diet. As for the role of RQUA in the life of a sponge?
We set off to see if this gene was in fact part of the sponge chromosome and if sponges could make RQ and tolerate hypoxia - and they did! Along the way, we found that the ability to make ubiquinone, is not so ubiquitous in sponges! RQUA encoding species are missing key steps in the pathway.
And here we have Euglena cruising around the SPC.
Here we have Acanthamoeba transitioning from cysts to amoeba after capsule dissolution. About 20 min time lapse. Nice way to start a new culture from a clonal population.
We tested the efficacy of semi-permeable capsules to capture protists from cultures and environmental samples using the Onyx from @atrandi.bsky.social. Tremendous effort from everyone in the lab and led by Marco Fantini and Nik Brask - check out the videos here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Payment by bank transfer is possible, just follow the instructions on the registration page and reach out to the secretariat if you have any questions. Can't wait to see you in October!!!
Abstracts have been reviewed and participants will soon be notified for CGUE2026! The program will be finalized in the coming weeks. Please head on over to the registration page to secure your spot!! Invited speakers - wait until you hear from us for more information! Registration is open!
Preach!!! Please read and digest this thread. I have to say this so many times while reviewing, I have a little paragraph I copy and paste over and over again (my tell)
Lund university is looking for a Molecular Microbiologist with a specialization in prokaryotes! Details in the link below:
We’ve extended the deadline!
Were you planning to attend CGUE 2026? Registration for the meeting is limited to 120 partipants with presenters (poster or talk) being given priority. So submit an abstract to secure your spot! comparativegenomics2026.com
All inclusive registration (hotel+meals)
Abstract deadline of February 27 is quickly approaching. Registration for the meeting is limited to 120 partipants with presenters (poster or talk) being given priority. So submit an abstract to secure your spot! comparativegenomics2026.com
All inclusive registration (hotel+3 meals)
Check out our latest pre-print of our favourite pets - the breviates. This work was led by Zhezhen Yi in collaboration with @andrewjroger.bsky.social and many others! By studying diverse breviates we were able to see how different metabolic pathways can evolved in response to low-oxygen.
We are still actively seeking sponsors and hope to get registration costs down as much as possible so please stay tuned. For now, start prepping your abstracts :)
The day is finally here!! On behalf of all the co-organizers the Comparative Genomics of Unicellular Eukaryotes website is open.
comparativegenomics2026.com
Invited speakers will be added to the website in the coming weeks. Watch this (well, that^) space!
New postdoc funding opportunity in Sweden! If you're interested in applying for this 'Data-Driven Life Sciences' fellowship, please get in touch, we'd be happy to host and help with the application (and talk options beyond the 2-year position). www.scilifelab.se/data-driven/...
Ooo! Thanks Xavi!! So sorry for this typo. We will be sure to amend it in the later iterations on the website.
Save the date! The next instalment of Comparative Genomics of Unicellular Eukaryotes is a GO! Join us next year for a programme of talks, posters, ECR/networking activities.
Website and registration details to follow in the coming weeks.
See you October 5-10 2026 in beautiful San Feliu!!
We are looking for a PhD student to work on an exciting plastid endosymbiosis in microbial eukaryotes. This position involves sampling, exciting microscopy such as CARDFISH, ExM and FIBSEM, single-cell transcriptomics and more. #protistsonsky 1/2
We had something similar happen recently, is it a panamoebademic?
