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Reposted by Rogier Braakman

Center for Chemical Currencies of a Microbial Planet (C-CoMP) @microbialplanet.bsky.social · 9d

📣#MTTM
Mariana Torres (martorres.bsky.social) is a C-CoMP B2P Fellow working with @rogierbraakman.bsky.social @mit.edu. Using computational methods, they are investigating environmental drivers of carbon cycle metabolism dynamics in the North Atlantic Ocean 🌊.

Mariana and Natalie Graham stand next to each other on the R/V Atlantic Explorer during the C-CoMP September Cruise. Photo by Fadime Stemmer.

Mariana processes samples on a bench in the lab on the R/V Atlantic Explorer during the C-CoMP September Cruise. Photo by Fadime Stemmer.

Mariana, Fadime Stemmer, Mario Uchimiya, and Justin Fujii take a picture together in a lab on the R/V Atlantic Explorer during the C-CoMP September Cruise. Photo by Mariana Torres.

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Rogier Braakman @rogierbraakman.bsky.social · Aug 7

New paper out! In it i review the context and implications of the "chitin raft hypothesis" for how cyanobacteria colonized the open ocean.

Included is a new perspective on why there were two major stages of atmospheric oxygenation over Earth history.

royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

The chitin raft hypothesis for the colonization of the open ocean by cyanobacteria | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

It is often assumed planktonic cyanobacteria existed in Precambrian oceans, but that their productivity was constrained. However, available evidence suggests picocyanobacteria only colonized the open ...

royalsocietypublishing.org

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Reposted by Rogier Braakman

bioRxivpreprint @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social · Aug 1

Assessing cellular metabolic dynamics with NAD(P)H fluorescence polarization imaging https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.28.667273v1

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Reposted by Rogier Braakman

Cameron Thrash @jcamthrash.bsky.social · Jul 16

Our latest, and the second paper led by Jordan Coelho this year. Want to remove bacteria from POM for single-cell microbiology/culturing/'omics applications? We've got some data:

Detergent-based separation of microbes from marine particles www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... #jcampubs 🌊

Detergent-based separation of microbes from marine particles

Marine particles, typically composed of organic detritus and cellular debris, harbor microbial communities that are distinct from the planktonic, or free-living, communities in the pelagic ocean. Howe...

www.biorxiv.org

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Reposted by Rogier Braakman

Rike Stelkens @stelkens.bsky.social · Jun 30

Job alert! We have a postdoc position available in the Stelkens Lab at Stockholm University. Join us and apply experimental evolution and comparative genomics in the model system yeast to test for parallel climate adaptation. Apply through this link: su.varbi.com/en/what:job/... Deadline 15 August.

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Rogier Braakman @rogierbraakman.bsky.social · Jun 26

This looks very cool - congrats!

Cameron Thrash @jcamthrash.bsky.social · Jun 26

Our latest, lead by @ahoiching.bsky.social, uncovering physiological vulnerabilities and helping to explain growth rate limitation in SAR11.

Cell cycle dysregulation of globally important SAR11 bacteria resulting from environmental perturbation www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... #jcampubs

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Rogier Braakman @rogierbraakman.bsky.social · Jun 19

🧪🦠⚒️🌍🌐 #Paleobio #MEvoSky #MicroSky

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Reposted by Rogier Braakman

Sergi Valverde @svalver.bsky.social · Jun 18

A new paper in Nature Ecol & Evol by
@rosafernandez.bsky.social et al. shows a #punctuated burst of genome evolution in #annelids as they transitioned from marine to land and freshwater habitats.

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Rogier Braakman @rogierbraakman.bsky.social · Jun 18

‼️I'm looking for a postdoc‼️ Come join effort in using metagenomes to quantify microbial catabolic potential and carbon substrate availability at the ecosystem level. We seek to understand evolutionary forces shaping the carbon cycle. Part of ccomp-stc.org

careers.peopleclick.com/careerscp/cl...

Postdoctoral Associate

MIT - Postdoctoral Associate - Cambridge MA 02139

careers.peopleclick.com

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Reposted by Rogier Braakman

Dr. Jennifer Glass (she/her) @methanojen.bsky.social · Jun 12

New preprint is out where we report a new obligate (?) methylotrophic bacteria with diel cycle of methanol dehydrogenase transcription in surface seawater, with implications for marine lanthanide and carbon cycling. Where the methanol comes from is a mystery! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Top figure: Diel transcription of TMED127 lanthanide-dependent methanol dehydrogenase (xoxF5) and glucose dehydrogenase (gdh) at Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site, Sargasso Sea, North Atlantic Ocean. Transcription peaks in late afternoon each day over 5 days.

Bottom figure: Schematic of key metabolisms and functions in TMED127/Methylaecorales based on genomic reconstruction, showing the most highly transcribed proteins are shown (PQQ-dependent methanol dehydrogenase (XoxF), PQQ-dependent glucose dehydrogenase (GDH), and proteorhopsin (PR)).

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Reposted by Rogier Braakman

Rogier Braakman @rogierbraakman.bsky.social · Jun 4

Excited to give a virtual seminar in the NASA LIFE RCN series next Tuesday June 10th, at 8am PST/11am EST.

I'll be talking about the Chitin Raft Hypothesis and the rise of planktonic marine cyanobacteria.

🧪🦠⚒️🌐 #Paleobio #MEvoSky #MicroSky

www.lifercn.org/events/2025-...

2025 LIFE RCN Seminar Series Episode 1: Dr. Rogier Braakman — LIFE Research Coordination Network

On June 10th, 2025, at 8AM PDT/11AM EDT, the LIFE RCN will be excited to introduce Dr. Rogier Braakman, a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an adjunct scientist at Th...

www.lifercn.org

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Rogier Braakman @rogierbraakman.bsky.social · Jun 5

Great opportunity to awesome science!

A. Murat Eren (Meren) @merenbey.bsky.social · Jun 5

We have a new 3-year postdoc position in our group at the @hifmb.de to study plasmids and plasmids systems of the marine environment to survey their utility in microbial responses to environmental change.

Please see the official job ad here, and spread the word:

jobs.awi.de/Vacancies/20...

PostDoc in ecology and evolution of plasmids in polar waters at HIFMB (f/d/m)

Layout AWI HIPP extern, englisch

jobs.awi.de

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Rogier Braakman @rogierbraakman.bsky.social · Jun 4

Excited to give a virtual seminar in the NASA LIFE RCN series next Tuesday June 10th, at 8am PST/11am EST.

I'll be talking about the Chitin Raft Hypothesis and the rise of planktonic marine cyanobacteria.

🧪🦠⚒️🌐 #Paleobio #MEvoSky #MicroSky

www.lifercn.org/events/2025-...

2025 LIFE RCN Seminar Series Episode 1: Dr. Rogier Braakman — LIFE Research Coordination Network

On June 10th, 2025, at 8AM PDT/11AM EDT, the LIFE RCN will be excited to introduce Dr. Rogier Braakman, a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an adjunct scientist at Th...

www.lifercn.org

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Rogier Braakman @rogierbraakman.bsky.social · Jun 4

Quoting the paper's last sentence, one implication of the CR hypothesis is:

"... In this view, the emergence of pelagic planktonic marine cyanobacteria reflects the broader biospheric expansion into the open ocean, which was not possible until ecosystems reached sufficient levels of complexity."

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Rogier Braakman @rogierbraakman.bsky.social · Jun 4

Revamped pre-print with updated title: The chitin raft hypothesis for the colonization of the open ocean by cyanobacteria.

In this paper i discuss the broader context and implications of the hypothesis.

🧪🦠⚒️🌍🌐 #Paleobio #MEvoSky #MicroSky

eartharxiv.org/repository/v...

The chitin raft hypothesis for the colonization of the open ocean by cyanobacteria

eartharxiv.org

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Reposted by Rogier Braakman

Philip Donoghue @phil-donoghue.bsky.social · May 28

Our latest, led by @jameswclark.bsky.social of @milnerevolution.bsky.social shows that the notorious mismatch between molecular and palaeontological estimates for the timing of origin of angiosperms is a consequence of equivocal interpretation of their fossil record @bristolpalaeo.bsky.social

Uncertainty in the timing of diversification of flowering plants rests with equivocal interpretation of their fossil record | Royal Society Open Science

The timing of the origin of crown-angiosperms exemplifies the impact of competing approaches to establishing evolutionary timescales. Fossils of unequivocal crown-angiosperms are not known from before...

royalsocietypublishing.org

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Rogier Braakman @rogierbraakman.bsky.social · Jun 3

Thank you!

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Rogier Braakman @rogierbraakman.bsky.social · Jun 2

@seandstacey.bsky.social
#AddMicrobiology

Thank you!

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Rogier Braakman @rogierbraakman.bsky.social · Jun 2

Hi Eryn, i would love to be added to the science feed if possible. I study metabolic evolution, microbial ecology and microbial macroevolution in the context of Earth history. Thanks!

rogierbraakman.com
scholar.google.com/citations?us...

Rogier Braakman

Visit the post for more.

rogierbraakman.com

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Rogier Braakman @rogierbraakman.bsky.social · May 29

Thanks!

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Rogier Braakman @rogierbraakman.bsky.social · May 29

Hi Sergi, just found and followed all. Could you add me too if not yet full?

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Rogier Braakman @rogierbraakman.bsky.social · May 29

Fascinating! I have always wondered about how to think about the impact of gradual vs punctuated evolutionary dynamics on (my interest is particularly microbial) phylogenetic clock models. This paper seems to offer a general framework for doing so

Sergi Valverde @svalver.bsky.social · May 29

Douglas et al. shows that up to 99% of evolutionary change occur at branching points across genes, morphology, and language. A major step for punctuated evolution, aligning with our goal of a unified framework. @nilese.bsky.social @andrejpaleo.bsky.social #EvoBio #CultEvo doi.org/10.1098/rspb...

Evolution is coupled with branching across many granularities of life | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Across many scales of life, the rate of evolutionary change is often accelerated at the time when one lineage splits into two. The emergence of novel protein function can be facilitated by gene duplication (neofunctionalization); rapid morphological ...

doi.org

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Reposted by Rogier Braakman

Jarrett Byrnes @jebyrnes.bsky.social · May 29

Want to learn more about #kelp distributions and environmental parameters? Check out our paper led by Aaron Eger and Georgina Wood) and app - An Environmental Niche Exploration Tool for Kelp Forest Management onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... & www.kelpee.info

An Environmental Niche Exploration Tool for Kelp Forest Management

The kelp niche explorer is a tool which allows users to understand the optimal environmental conditions for kelp forest conservation at the regional level. The tool is adaptable and provides an easy ...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Reposted by Rogier Braakman

Ben Bond-Lamberty @benbondlamberty.bsky.social · May 27

This paper led by @tommaso-jucker.bsky.social was fun to participate in: The global spectrum of tree crown architecture, www.nature.com/articles/s41.... Now online!

The global spectrum of tree crown architecture - Nature Communications

Trees come in all shapes and size, but what drives this incredible variation in tree form remains poorly understood. Using a global dataset, the authors show that a combination of climate, competition...

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Rogier Braakman

Molly Przeworski @mollyprz.bsky.social · May 23

Now published in PNAS: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

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