NGI's Luke Thompson Co-authors Papers on Earth Micro-Biome Project and Methane Ice Worm's

March 20, 2023

Luke Thompson is a co-first author on a paper about the Earth Microbiome Project that was published in Nature Microbiology. This paper describes the results of a vast and diverse sampling effort of Earth's microbial communities and analysis using whole-genome sequencing (metagenomics) and whole-metabolite mass spectrometry (metabolomics). The results reveal patterns of diversity that have never before been explored on this scale of sample diversity and molecular analysis. The massive dataset of microbial genetic and metabolic diversity will be a valuable resource for environmental microbiology research. Shaffer, J.P., Nothias, LF., Thompson, L.R. et al. Standardized multi-omics of Earth's microbiomes reveals microbial and metabolite diversity. Nat Microbiol 7, 2128–2150 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-022-01266-x

Luke Thompson co-authored a paper that provides genetic information about the methane ice worm, the only polychaete species known to colonize methane hydrates located in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Metagenomic sequences were used to construct the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of this worm, providing the first mitogenome for the entire family (Hesionidae) for which this species is a member.

Shen Jean Lim, Luke R. Thompson, Kelly D. Goodwin (2023) "Genetic Features of the Marine Polychaete Sirsoe methanicola from Metagenomic Data. Frontiers in Marine Science, Deep-sea Environments and Ecology Section, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.106748