Whoa!!! That’s awesome. #Liam

Finally, we reconstructed the labyrinthic evolutionary history of HORBEC, from two ancient modules to the wide diversity that we observe in contemporary organisms.

HORBEC are found in most prokaryotes, and are particularly diverse in Archaea. Phylogenetic analyses indicate a complex evolutionary history. However, we show that respiratory complex I (Nuo/Fpo) was likely present in the LUCA, challenging current hypotheses on the ancestral energetic metabolism.

We then show that HORBEC exhibit an impressive modularity, achieved by tinkering protein domains, swapping components or even whole parts of complexes. This modularity led to a variety of coupled reactions and cellular localizations.

We analyzed the distribution of 31 HORBEC in over 4,000 bacterial and archaeal genomes. We propose a homogeneous nomenclature of HORBEC and their components and developed a tool, HORBEC-Finder, for automatic annotation from genomes(try it here! doi.org/10.6084/m9.f...).

HORBEC are involved in most energy-converting pathways, from respiration to methanogenesis. Despite their central role in bioenergetic metabolism, a comprehensive evolutionary analysis of these systems has been lacking.

A myriad of oxidoreductase complexes, including hydrogenases and respiratory complex I form a wide evolutionary network by sharing homologue components. We call them HORBEC for Homologous Oxidoreductases involved in Redox balance and Energy conservation.

Passioned by #bioenergetics? Do not miss our new article on the evolutionary history of oxidoreductases with G. Borrel and @sgribaldo.bsky.social @archaeal.bsky.social @valdeanda.bsky.social @pasteur.fr @cnrs.fr @cnrsbiologie.bsky.social @natecoevo.nature.com (www.nature.com/articles/s41...).

I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening. The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.

It was a straight up execution.

NEW: ICE officers in Minn executed a man they were holding on ground. I'm not exaggerating. This is real footage published in Minnesotta Star Tribune. Officers surround man. They are beating them. Then you hear shot as one ICE officer executes the man. Every officer involved MUST be charged!

these are the 7 house democrats who voted to give ICE another $10 billion on thursday btw

Yay for the archaeal community! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

We have been trying to get genomic data release on NCBI since August, 3 papers are now on hold until we get a response. Literally haven't gotten a response since August. There's needs to be an alternative. This system seems broken.

@markowenmartin.bsky.social congrats on your retirement!

Are you a long-time fan of Archaea, an extremophile-phile, or are you simply curious? Either way, we have good news. We’re delighted to announce the 2026 EMBO Workshop on Archaea, 6–10 July. Sign up: meetings.embo.org/event/26-arc... We look forward to seeing you in Cambridge, UK. Please repost!

So happy this is finally out! We reconstructed the 1st large-scale spatiotemporal dataset of 600+ MAGs from San Francisco Bay and show they have functional redundancy in key N and S pathways. These functions may better recover from disturbance in this highly urban estuary 💧

Our latest expedition update video is live on YouTube. Learn how the #AsgardArchaea science team is looking for our microbial ancestors to understand the biological events that led to the broad diversity of complex cellular life. youtu.be/Jy_boPdY0zo?...

Spectacular strawberry squid! Histioteuthis squid w/massively asymmetrical eyes: 1 larger for viewing the silhouettes of predators & prey above, & 1 smaller eye for capturing glimmers of bioluminescent snacks below. #AsgardArchea - 730m - ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute

That’s a wrap for #AsgardArchaea expedition, w/ @archaeal.bsky.social fr @texasscience.bsky.social! In the coming months and years, this research will likely open the door to new medical breakthroughs and unlock answers to questions about the origins of complex life. youtu.be/mgmEh_qag5E?...

The #AsgardArchaea team observed breathtaking wildlife in Uruguayan waters via the cameras on the Schmidt Ocean Institute's deep-sea robot — ROV SuBastian. https://youtu.be/uM0wKYb1kus

Packing and shipping out. #AsgardArchaea @schmidtocean.bsky.social @moorefound.bsky.social @texasscience.bsky.social @utmsi.bsky.social

Eukaryogenesis was a billion year spree, but the acquisition of mitochondria happened when the party was winding down www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Pilar raises her Asgard bridge from the sea!

And ‘Searching for the Asgards’ the movie: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgmE...

Wrap up video from the Symbiotic Partners of Asgards Research Cruise (SPARC). youtu.be/mgmEh_qag5E?... #AsgardArchaea @schmidtocean.bsky.social @moorefound.bsky.social @texasscience.bsky.social @utmsi.bsky.social

That's a wrap, what an amazing expedition! #AsgardArchaea @schmidtocean.bsky.social @moorefound.bsky.social @texasscience.bsky.social @utmsi.bsky.social

Want to know why UT’s Brett Baker and other scientists are seeking our microbial ancestors in the depths of the ocean? This video from Schmidt Ocean Institute does a fantastic job of explaining! #AsgardArchaea @archaeal.bsky.social @schmidtocean.bsky.social @utaustin.bsky.social

Fantastic video of the expedition being led by UT Austin’s @archaeal.bsky.social

A bunch of activity in the Falkor (too) hangar today. Diving now....https://www.youtube.com/@SchmidtOcean #AsgardArchaea @schmidtocean.bsky.social @moorefound.bsky.social @texasscience.bsky.social @utmsi.bsky.social

Megapod of dolphins

And presenting the enigmatic vampire squid. First glimpse.

Vampyroteuthis! @schmidtocean.bsky.social dive 872 #asgardarchaea #MarineLife

Busy turkey day in the deep sea… #Asgardarchaea @schmidtocean.bsky.social @moorefound.bsky.social @texasscience.bsky.social @utmsi.bsky.social

@schmidtocean.bsky.social dive 871 is live! #asgardarchaea #MarineLife www.youtube.com/live/bsrUeuZ...

Sea star, ophiuroid, stalked barnacles, sponge. @schmidtocean.bsky.social dive 871 #asgardarchaea #MarineLife

Diving deep today, 2,700m. Live stream here youtube.com/@schmidtocea... #Asgardarchaea @schmidtocean.bsky.social @moorefound.bsky.social @texasscience.bsky.social @utmsi.bsky.social

Deployment! ROV SuBastian. www.youtube.com/@SchmidtOcean #AsgardArchaea @schmidtocean.bsky.social @moorefound.bsky.social @texasscience.bsky.social @utmsi.bsky.social

In the water diving to 900m. www.youtube.com/@SchmidtOcean #AsgardArchaea @schmidtocean.bsky.social @moorefound.bsky.social @texasscience.bsky.social @utmsi.bsky.social

Getting ready to dive into this canyon. You can watch the stream from the ROV here www.youtube.com/@SchmidtOcean #AsgardArchaea @schmidtocean.bsky.social @moorefound.bsky.social @texasscience.bsky.social @utmsi.bsky.social

An archaeal genetic code with all TAG codons as pyrrolysine www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1... #jcampubs

This fluttery finned fish, possibly from the family Oreosomatidae, was spotted during #AsgardArchaea at around 1000 m. Read more about this expedition led by @archaeal.bsky.social from @texasscience.bsky.social#AsgardArchaeahere: https://schmidtocean.org/cruise/searching-for-the-asgard/

Here's the R/V Falkor (too) and the bay inside with the amazing robot sub (SuBastian), suspended from a giant A frame for deploying it through an even larger door. The two workbenches in front give you a sense of scale. You can also just make out @archaeal.bsky.social in front of the Falkor

ROV in the water, diving to 2600m

Waiting for the wind to subside, while the ship maps a channel on the sea floor for the next dive, Galen visits the bridge and settles right in.

Today's dive site, to ~2,200m. We will be streaming 9am-3pm Central. At www.youtube.com/@SchmidtOcean #AsgardArchaea @schmidtocean.bsky.social @moorefound.bsky.social @texasscience.bsky.social @utmsi.bsky.social

#AsgardArchaea team, led by @archaeal.bsky.social fr @texasscience.bsky.social — sequencing the DNA collected fr mouth of Rio de la Plata to the continental shelf of Uruguay to detect Asgards, a group of single-celled organisms & our closest microbial relatives on the tree of life. bit.ly/3MdniTH