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.

Drought Reduces Formation, but Enhances Persistence, of Mineral‐Associated Organic Matter in a Grassland Soil We used a 13C-CO2 labeling study to track the formation and persistence of mineral-associated soil carbon derived from living root and decaying root inputs under normal moisture and droughted conditi...

Drought Reduces Formation, but Enhances Persistence, of Mineral-Associated Organic Matter in a Grassland Soil、Global Change Biology, #stableisotopes onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Turns out that it is (most likely) not a #fungus. Very cool work, super nicely explained in this amazing thread. Nice read along!

Door 10 of our soilwatching #adventkalender www.instagram.com/soilwatching

"Simple" organisms, they call them in schools...

Stunning imaging, gorgeous creatures. The amazing world of #protists

Diverse soil protists show auxin regulated growth in partnership with auxin-producing bacteria Abstract. Predatory protists are single-cell eukaryotic organisms capable of hunting and ingesting bacteria and other microorganisms, which are thought to

Ever wondered how single-celled predators in soil boost plant health?
🧬 Protists don't just eat bacteria -they team up with them to shape the rhizosphere.
📈 Auxin isn't just a plant hormone -it's an interkingdom signal influencing microbial and protist life.
🌱 Read: academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...

Pretty excited to share our new preprint!
Non-photosynthetic Plastid Replacement by a Primary Plastid in the Making
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Curious about #protists and #anaerobic metabolism? 🦠🔬Well, it's out!
It is such a privilege to have taken part of this amazing work by Julie @protistsforthewin.bsky.social and Karla at @cstairs.bsky.social lab during my MSc. Thank you!😄

To observe or to extract? Different methods for studying soil organisms Interest in characterising soil communities is booming, fuelled by the growing recognition that soil biota govern processes of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling – processes that underpin the deli…

I wrote a blogpost about the value of looking at your study organisms 12 years ago!
franciskadevries.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/t...

How fungi research at Lund University could revolutionise infrastructure repair Much of the world's infrastructure is made of concrete, which presents a challenge when it cracks and needs repair. Traditional repair methods involve cutting away a large amount of material.

Can fungi be used to repair a bridge? At Lund University curiosity got researchers thinking...

Much of the world's infrastructure is made of concrete. Now researchers at Lund University are investigating an innovative alternative solution: using fungi to mend concrete.

This is so cool. I am so proud to be working with these people 🥰

Soilwatching Dive into the wonders of the world below your feet with the researchers of the SoilChip group at @LundUniversity! We want to share unique footage from our cyborg soils, transparent labyrinths that me...

Happy #worldsoilday !! Have you ever looked INTO soil ? If no, join us at Soilwatching: Windows to the #soil let us peek at all its inhabitants. If you know the channel already - stay tuned, there will soon be two new episodes:) www.youtube.com/@Soilwatching