Horizontal gene transfer Archives

How culturomics unlocks acid mine drainage's hidden microbial universe.

Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Commercial & Private Sector, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Sample Return

From Microbial Dark Matter To Living Library: New Biobank Decodes Survival Secrets Of Extreme Acid Mine Drainage Microbes

by Keith CowingJune 18, 2026June 18, 2026

Editor’s note: If we aspire to mount expeditions to new worlds and then embrace the task of characterizing and quantifying whatever life forms we find, the ability to map and […]

Kultur von Hypomyces completus Public Domain, Quelle: US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Systematic Botany and Mycology Laboratory, [1] Larger image

Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

Fungi Set The Stage For Life On Land Hundreds Of Millions Of Years Earlier Than Thought

by Keith CowingOctober 1, 2025October 1, 2025

New research published in Nature Ecology & Evolution sheds light on the timelines and pathways of evolution of fungi, finding evidence of their influence on ancient terrestrial ecosystems.

Tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris. -- Int J Mol Sci.

Cryobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Microgravity, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Radiation, Status Report

Antioxidant Defense in the Toughest Animals on the Earth: Its Contribution to the Extreme Resistance of Tardigrades

by Keith CowingSeptember 23, 2024September 23, 2024

Tardigrades are unique among animals in their resistance to dehydration, mainly due to anhydrobiosis and tun formation. They are also very resistant to high-energy radiation, low and high temperatures, low […]

Gene synteny of pyrrolysine metabolism in Methanovorans (ANME-3) and representative methanogens. All methanogen genomes contain genes for pyrrolysine biosynthesis (blue) and expression (red) and methanogenesis from methylamines (green). Two Methanovorans genomes contain these genes, seven Methanovorans lack them completely, and one Methanovorans contains a partial set of genes with several disruptions in the gene sequences. -- biorxiv.org

Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

Convergence and Horizontal Gene Transfer Drive the Evolution of Anaerobic Methanotrophy in Archaea

by Keith CowingMay 31, 2024May 31, 2024

Despite their large environmental impact and multiple independent emergences, the processes leading to the evolution of anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (ANME) remain unclear.

EOD exposure from electric eel to zebrafish larvae. (A) This illustration depicts the experimental tank used to expose the recipient organism to the electric eel’s electric organ discharge (EOD). Within the tank, three carbon rod electrodes are placed: two inputs (colored black and red) and a ground electrode (colored green). (B) An EOD is induced by the electric eel during its predatory behavior when it feeds on a goldfish. The cuvette containing zebrafish larvae and a DNA solution is positioned in close proximity to the high-voltage pulses generated by the electric eel. The magenta curve illustrates the electric field produced by the electric eel. (C) This illustration indicates the construction of the GFP expression plasmid driven by the Oryzias latipes actb promoter. (D) The photograph displays 7-day post-fertilization (dpf) Danio rerio (zebrafish) larvae that were subjected to microinjection with the indicator plasmid at the one-to-eight cell stages. The plasmid has resulted in robust and widespread GFP fluorescence without apparent developmental abnormalities. Scale bar, 500 µm. (E) An example of a single predatory behavior with the EOD pulses lasting 30 s is shown. The electric eel first bites and swallows the goldfish (indicated by the magenta arrow, 1st bite), followed by another bite at an empty clip (indicated by the blue arrow, 2nd bite). -- Nagoya University

Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Press Release

Electricity From Electric Eels May Transfer Genetic Material To Nearby Animals

by Keith CowingDecember 6, 2023December 6, 2023

Editor’s note: as is stated in this press release, electroporation is a well-known way to deliver genetic information into a cell – in the laboratory. The fact that this happens […]

Location of FRL-specific residues in FRL-PSI. The structure of FRL-PSI from F. thermalis PCC 7521 is shown. This figure corresponds to the multiple sequence alignment shown in Supplementary Figure 6. Yellow spheres represent residues that are FRL-specific and are conserved in the ancestral sequence. Green spheres represent FRL-specific residues that are not conserved in the ancestral sequence. Chl f-binding sites that are conserved among the current FRL-PSI structures are shown with a pink glow and are labeled with bold font on each of the surface views (e.g., site B30). Chl f-binding sites that are observed to be species-specific based on the current structures are labeled with regular font (e.g., site B19). In the top left panel, the FRL-specific subunits are additionally labeled. The four clusters of FRL-specific residues are labeled c1 through c4. -- Frontiers/Queen Mary University of London

Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Origin & Evolution of Life, Plant Biology, Press Release, Proxima Centauri, Space Agriculture, TRAPPIST-1

A Spectrum Of Possibilities: Insights Into The Evolution Of Far-red Light Photosynthesis

by Keith CowingNovember 28, 2023November 28, 2023

A collaborative study led by Dr. Christopher Gisriel at Yale University and Dr. Tanai Cardona at Queen Mary University of London, published in Frontiers in Plant Science, offers new insight […]

Taxonomic classification consensus of virus operational taxonomic units (vOTUs). -- biorxiv

Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report

Hot Springs Viruses At Yellowstone National Park Have Ancient Origins And Are Adapted To Their Thermophilic Hosts

by Keith CowingNovember 28, 2023November 28, 2023

Geothermal springs in areas such as Yellowstone National Park (YNP), USA house unicellular red algae that dominate the microbial biomass. Little is known about the viruses that infect the biota.

Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

Sedimentary DNA Can Influence Evolution: Establishing Mineral Facilitated Horizontal Gene Transfer As A Route To Bacterial Fitness

by Keith CowingJanuary 29, 2023January 29, 2023

Horizontal gene transfer is the one of the most important drivers of bacterial evolution. Transformation by uptake of extracellular DNA is traditionally not considered to be an effective mode of […]

Horizontal gene transfer

From Microbial Dark Matter To Living Library: New Biobank Decodes Survival Secrets Of Extreme Acid Mine Drainage Microbes

Fungi Set The Stage For Life On Land Hundreds Of Millions Of Years Earlier Than Thought

Antioxidant Defense in the Toughest Animals on the Earth: Its Contribution to the Extreme Resistance of Tardigrades

Convergence and Horizontal Gene Transfer Drive the Evolution of Anaerobic Methanotrophy in Archaea

Electricity From Electric Eels May Transfer Genetic Material To Nearby Animals

A Spectrum Of Possibilities: Insights Into The Evolution Of Far-red Light Photosynthesis

Hot Springs Viruses At Yellowstone National Park Have Ancient Origins And Are Adapted To Their Thermophilic Hosts

Sedimentary DNA Can Influence Evolution: Establishing Mineral Facilitated Horizontal Gene Transfer As A Route To Bacterial Fitness

NASA Spaceline Current Awareness List #1,206 2 July 2026 (Space Life Science Research Results)

Older Than The Sun: Astronomers Find New Clues To The Origin Of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

Carl Sagan Month: Call For Participation

The Habitable Worlds Observatory Technology Development Plan

Searching For The Elusive CH2+ With The James Webb Space Telescope. Another Carbocation To Constrain Astrochemical Networks