Heidi Aronson, PhD
@heidi-aronson.bsky.social
810 followers 820 following 13 posts
Postdoc in the Coates Lab @UCBerkeley, PhD from the Amend lab @USC and the Macalady lab @PSU | #Geomicrobiology | #Astrobiology | #Sulfur | #Phosphorus | #Extremophiles | Microbial metabolism | Cultivation
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Reposted by Heidi Aronson, PhD
jcamthrash.bsky.social
Integrative Thermodynamics Strategies in Microbial Metabolism www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... #jcampubs
Reposted by Heidi Aronson, PhD
jcamthrash.bsky.social
Methanotrophy Under Extreme Alkalinity in a Serpentinizing System www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... #jcampubs
Reposted by Heidi Aronson, PhD
jcamthrash.bsky.social
Microbial exoenzymes catalyzed the transition to an oxygenated Earth #USC_MEB #jcampubs www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Heidi Aronson, PhD
jcamthrash.bsky.social
Tectonic setting shapes microbial biosynthetic potential across global geothermal environments www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... #jcampubs
Reposted by Heidi Aronson, PhD
jcamthrash.bsky.social
Testing the priming effect in the deep ocean: are microorganisms too starved to consume recalcitrant organic carbon? journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.... #jcampubs 🌊
Reposted by Heidi Aronson, PhD
jcamthrash.bsky.social
Interspecies electron transfer as one of key drivers of methanogenic consortia succession within quorum sensing regulation academic.oup.com/ismecommun/a... #jcampubs
Reposted by Heidi Aronson, PhD
jcamthrash.bsky.social
Microbial ecology of acidic, biogenic gypsum: community structure and distribution of extremophiles on freshly formed and relict sulfate deposits in a hydrogen sulfide-rich cave journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.... #jcampubs
Reposted by Heidi Aronson, PhD
msmjetten.bsky.social
Great new trait of #Methanoperedens archaea: Carbon monoxide metabolism in freshwater anaerobic #methanotrophic archaea #aom #anme
Egas @cuwelte.bsky.social et al #microbiology @ribesresearch.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Heidi Aronson, PhD
biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social
Tectonic setting shapes microbial biosynthetic potential across global geothermal environments https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.14.675129v1
Reposted by Heidi Aronson, PhD
Reposted by Heidi Aronson, PhD
nagissa.bsky.social
🚨New preprint from our lab!🚨

We trace the evolution of microbial exoenzymes and uncover their role in Earth’s oxygenation. By recycling nutrients, exoenzymes helped fuel cyanobacteria and set off feedbacks that sustained the long-term rise of O₂.

#MicroSky 🧪 🦠 🌎

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Microbial exoenzymes catalyzed the transition to an oxygenated Earth
Microbial exoenzymes, extracellular enzymes secreted to degrade complex organic polymers, are essential for recycling carbon and nutrients, thus sustaining primary productivity in todays oceans. Yet, ...
www.biorxiv.org
Reposted by Heidi Aronson, PhD
Reposted by Heidi Aronson, PhD
karthik-a.bsky.social
New review paper on metabolic handoffs in microbiomes led by PhD student Katie Klier.

We define major types of metabolic handoffs, examine their drivers and benefits, & describe their importance in different complex microbial systems and environments.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
An updated view of metabolic handoffs in microbiomes
From the human gut to the deep ocean, diverse microbial communities underpin essential ecosystem processes. Limited understanding of the dynamics and …
www.sciencedirect.com
Reposted by Heidi Aronson, PhD
jenbiddle.bsky.social
Hey are you looking for a postdoc focusing on microbial
ecology/bioinformatics? Hit me up - it’s not my lab but trying to help someone else staff their lab. If you have a student about to defend, this could be a great chance to get a ton of papers.
Reposted by Heidi Aronson, PhD
jcamthrash.bsky.social
Lithosyntrophy: Obligate syntrophy in a phosphite-oxidizing, methanogenic culture www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... #jcampubs
Reposted by Heidi Aronson, PhD
loyteam.bsky.social
📢 New paper in @nature.com

Microbes rock 🎸🤘 with sulfide and iron minerals

I am very excited to share our recent study, which describes a previously unknown microbial energy metabolism ⚡⚡⚡🦠🧫⚡⚡⚡

🆕 Microbial iron oxide respiration coupled to sulfide oxidation - MISO

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Microbial iron oxide respiration coupled to sulfide oxidation - Nature
Genomic and biochemical analyses of prokaryotic sulfur metabolism identify diverse microorganisms with the capacity to oxidize sulfide using iron(iii).
www.nature.com
heidi-aronson.bsky.social
Thanks! Had a lot of fun with the physiology experiments and proteomics. I think FeS2 formation coupled to methanogenesis is a strong contender and I’m curious about the mechanism behind this one. I’m also working on thermodynamic calcs to see if others are possible! www.pnas.org/doi/full/10....
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
heidi-aronson.bsky.social
Phosphite oxidizers 🤝 Methanogens
In our new paper on “Lithosyntrophy” we show that phosphite oxidation drives methanogenesis through interspecies H2 transfer. Lithosyntrophy establishes a novel mechanistic link between the #phosphorus and carbon redox cycles
biorxiv-microbiol.bsky.social
Lithosyntrophy: Obligate syntrophy in a phosphite-oxidizing, methanogenic culture https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.26.672485v1
Reposted by Heidi Aronson, PhD
tacaro.bsky.social
Excited to share our pre-print examining microbial activity and carbon utilization in the serpentinizing subsurface! Tl;dr: Serpentinite-hosted microbes are notably active, thriving on DIC despite alkalinity. Implications for #astrobiology, #carboncapture, and #GeoH2!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Dissolved inorganic carbon supports robust anabolism and methanogenesis in actively serpentinizing rocks
Serpentinites, hydrated ultramafic rocks that produce [hyper]alkaline, reducing, H2-rich groundwaters, host subsurface microbial ecosystems. Though in the presence of enormous reducing power, life in ...
www.biorxiv.org
Reposted by Heidi Aronson, PhD
jcamthrash.bsky.social
Dissolved inorganic carbon supports robust anabolism and methanogenesis in actively serpentinizing rocks www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... #jcampubs