Chuankai Cheng
@ahoiching.bsky.social
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
Folks, we're up and running on Insta! Come say hi and check out fun info on micro, field work, lab life, etc. www.instagram.com/the.thrash.l...
August 6, 2026 at 4:43 PM
Folks, we're up and running on Insta! Come say hi and check out fun info on micro, field work, lab life, etc. www.instagram.com/the.thrash.l...
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
If Zachary Blount had one dollar for every cell he plated in his dissertation looking for new Cit+ mutations, he could single handedly pay off the US debt of $40,000,000,000,000.
www.npr.org/2026/08/19/n...
www.npr.org/2026/08/19/n...
August 19, 2026 at 10:25 PM
If Zachary Blount had one dollar for every cell he plated in his dissertation looking for new Cit+ mutations, he could single handedly pay off the US debt of $40,000,000,000,000.
www.npr.org/2026/08/19/n...
www.npr.org/2026/08/19/n...
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
Intermediate stages in the origin of metabolism at a phosphorylating hydrothermal vent www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... #jcampubs
Intermediate stages in the origin of metabolism at a phosphorylating hydrothermal vent
Enzymatic metabolism emerged from metal-catalyzed, aqueous reactions of H2, CO2, NH3 and phosphite at a hydrothermal vent.
www.science.org
August 12, 2026 at 8:07 PM
Intermediate stages in the origin of metabolism at a phosphorylating hydrothermal vent www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... #jcampubs
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
6/ What makes this more than one bacterium is the phylogeny. Both lineages use (p)ppGpp, but not in the same way. The Proteobacterial solution, exemplified by E. coli, acts directly on RNA polymerase. In Firmicutes, the control we describe is routed through GTP instead.
June 18, 2026 at 6:23 PM
6/ What makes this more than one bacterium is the phylogeny. Both lineages use (p)ppGpp, but not in the same way. The Proteobacterial solution, exemplified by E. coli, acts directly on RNA polymerase. In Firmicutes, the control we describe is routed through GTP instead.
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
1/ Out today in Science (@science.org): a result a decade in the making, and one that changed how I think about what cells are doing when they grow. We found a bacterium that grows slower than it could. And we found the molecular switch that lets us reverse it.
June 18, 2026 at 6:23 PM
1/ Out today in Science (@science.org): a result a decade in the making, and one that changed how I think about what cells are doing when they grow. We found a bacterium that grows slower than it could. And we found the molecular switch that lets us reverse it.
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
H1B visas were historically key for postdocs and research scientists (and future PIs and professors) - and the fee threatened to totally derail that pipeline. This is good news.
A federal judge has blocked Trump’s bid to slap a $100,000 fee on employers who seek to hire foreign workers for specialized roles.
It's a significant victory for states who sued Trump over the proclamation, saying the fee had damaged their ability to hire workers.
It's a significant victory for states who sued Trump over the proclamation, saying the fee had damaged their ability to hire workers.
Court blocks Trump’s $100K visa fee
It's a significant victory for states who sued Trump over the proclamation, saying the $100,000 fee had damaged their ability to hire workers
www.politico.com
June 8, 2026 at 8:36 PM
H1B visas were historically key for postdocs and research scientists (and future PIs and professors) - and the fee threatened to totally derail that pipeline. This is good news.
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
I'm happy to share the first pre-print of out Lab! 🎉
Introducing ArchaeaHQ
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
We curated 21,644 genomes across all 4 archaeal kingdoms to bridge the gap in public datasets for computational biology
What is inside ArchaeaHQ... (1/2)
Introducing ArchaeaHQ
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
We curated 21,644 genomes across all 4 archaeal kingdoms to bridge the gap in public datasets for computational biology
What is inside ArchaeaHQ... (1/2)
June 5, 2026 at 8:47 AM
I'm happy to share the first pre-print of out Lab! 🎉
Introducing ArchaeaHQ
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
We curated 21,644 genomes across all 4 archaeal kingdoms to bridge the gap in public datasets for computational biology
What is inside ArchaeaHQ... (1/2)
Introducing ArchaeaHQ
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
We curated 21,644 genomes across all 4 archaeal kingdoms to bridge the gap in public datasets for computational biology
What is inside ArchaeaHQ... (1/2)
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
Metadata as Infrastructure.
I finally created a Substack! My first post is on a topic that I probably spend entirely too much time worrying about. 😊
please reshare with your #genomics and #bioinformatics peeps! 🙏 🧬🦠🔬📊🧫🚀 substack.com/home/post/p-...
#ASMicrobe #digitalbiology #biotech #biopharma
I finally created a Substack! My first post is on a topic that I probably spend entirely too much time worrying about. 😊
please reshare with your #genomics and #bioinformatics peeps! 🙏 🧬🦠🔬📊🧫🚀 substack.com/home/post/p-...
#ASMicrobe #digitalbiology #biotech #biopharma
Metadata as Infrastructure
Genomics data provenance and quality are something we can't ignore anymore
substack.com
June 6, 2026 at 11:53 AM
Metadata as Infrastructure.
I finally created a Substack! My first post is on a topic that I probably spend entirely too much time worrying about. 😊
please reshare with your #genomics and #bioinformatics peeps! 🙏 🧬🦠🔬📊🧫🚀 substack.com/home/post/p-...
#ASMicrobe #digitalbiology #biotech #biopharma
I finally created a Substack! My first post is on a topic that I probably spend entirely too much time worrying about. 😊
please reshare with your #genomics and #bioinformatics peeps! 🙏 🧬🦠🔬📊🧫🚀 substack.com/home/post/p-...
#ASMicrobe #digitalbiology #biotech #biopharma
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
𝘌. 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘪 chromosome replicationists take note 👇
a model that brings together DnaA titration along the chromosome and DnaA-ATP/DnaA-ADP intraconversion.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
a model that brings together DnaA titration along the chromosome and DnaA-ATP/DnaA-ADP intraconversion.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
June 2, 2026 at 9:12 AM
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
JB Editor's Choice: Jakowec, Finkel et al. explore the roles of glycogen and trehalose in adapting to stationary phase by E. coli - they show that loss of either "misaligns" metabolism and transcription during this period of stress.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
@asm.org #JBacteriol
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
@asm.org #JBacteriol
June 1, 2026 at 12:34 PM
JB Editor's Choice: Jakowec, Finkel et al. explore the roles of glycogen and trehalose in adapting to stationary phase by E. coli - they show that loss of either "misaligns" metabolism and transcription during this period of stress.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
@asm.org #JBacteriol
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
@asm.org #JBacteriol
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
New proposed regulations at OMB would gut U.S. science. All funding decisions would ultimately be made by political appointees who can cancel any grant for any reason, disallows co-authorship with China, forbids payment of publication/open access fees... What to do?
fight2win.standupforscience.net
fight2win.standupforscience.net
Stand up for Science
Stand up for Science
urldefense.com
June 1, 2026 at 6:16 PM
New proposed regulations at OMB would gut U.S. science. All funding decisions would ultimately be made by political appointees who can cancel any grant for any reason, disallows co-authorship with China, forbids payment of publication/open access fees... What to do?
fight2win.standupforscience.net
fight2win.standupforscience.net
Now we are concluding May 2026. Lots of things happened! I defended, became a doctor, and hooded by @jcamthrash.bsky.social !
June 1, 2026 at 12:41 AM
Now we are concluding May 2026. Lots of things happened! I defended, became a doctor, and hooded by @jcamthrash.bsky.social !
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
**Postdoc opportunity** Lead research on trace metal impacts on nitrogen fixation and phytoplankton mediated carbon export. Previous proteomics experience highly desired. Details below, please ping me if difficult to read!
May 13, 2026 at 6:47 PM
**Postdoc opportunity** Lead research on trace metal impacts on nitrogen fixation and phytoplankton mediated carbon export. Previous proteomics experience highly desired. Details below, please ping me if difficult to read!
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
A proteostasis clock underlies the timing of bacterial dormancy and antibiotic tolerance www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... #jcampubs
March 10, 2026 at 1:31 PM
A proteostasis clock underlies the timing of bacterial dormancy and antibiotic tolerance www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... #jcampubs
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
(bacterial) chromosome segregationists take note 👇
membrane-anchoring of the 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘊 region to ensure proper daughter chromosome segregation after replication initiation – proposed decades ago but never substantiated... 👉now shown for 𝘚. 𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘶𝘴 by mariana pinho's lab
membrane-anchoring of the 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘊 region to ensure proper daughter chromosome segregation after replication initiation – proposed decades ago but never substantiated... 👉now shown for 𝘚. 𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘶𝘴 by mariana pinho's lab
March 7, 2026 at 11:34 AM
(bacterial) chromosome segregationists take note 👇
membrane-anchoring of the 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘊 region to ensure proper daughter chromosome segregation after replication initiation – proposed decades ago but never substantiated... 👉now shown for 𝘚. 𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘶𝘴 by mariana pinho's lab
membrane-anchoring of the 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘊 region to ensure proper daughter chromosome segregation after replication initiation – proposed decades ago but never substantiated... 👉now shown for 𝘚. 𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘶𝘴 by mariana pinho's lab
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
10 years of massive Asgard undertaking, masterly summarized!
Read our review about the "Diversity, ecology, cell biology and evolution of the Asgard archaea" in @natrevmicro.nature.com here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
By @kassipan.bsky.social @stephkoe.bsky.social @micropat.bsky.social & @gerbenz.bsky.social
By @kassipan.bsky.social @stephkoe.bsky.social @micropat.bsky.social & @gerbenz.bsky.social
March 6, 2026 at 6:28 AM
10 years of massive Asgard undertaking, masterly summarized!
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
Diversity, ecology, cell biology and evolution of the Asgard archaea www.nature.com/articles/s41... #jcampubs
Diversity, ecology, cell biology and evolution of the Asgard archaea - Nature Reviews Microbiology
The Asgard archaea have become a cornerstone of archaeal research, particularly for studies aiming to unravel the origin and early evolution of eukaryotes. This Review outlines the current state of th...
www.nature.com
March 5, 2026 at 2:32 PM
Diversity, ecology, cell biology and evolution of the Asgard archaea www.nature.com/articles/s41... #jcampubs
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
Great to see this amazing resource finally published !
MicrobeAtlas - 2.4 million SSU rRNA gene sequence datasets systematically analysed against an extensive full length reference database enabling tracking of OTUs at global scales!
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
MicrobeAtlas - 2.4 million SSU rRNA gene sequence datasets systematically analysed against an extensive full length reference database enabling tracking of OTUs at global scales!
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
The MicrobeAtlas database: Global trends and insights into Earth’s microbial ecosystems
MicrobeAtlas (www.microbeatlas.org) is an integrated, reference-based resource for
truly planet-wide microbiomics, analyzing hundreds of thousands of microbial lineages
across diverse environments, co...
www.cell.com
March 2, 2026 at 7:57 PM
Great to see this amazing resource finally published !
MicrobeAtlas - 2.4 million SSU rRNA gene sequence datasets systematically analysed against an extensive full length reference database enabling tracking of OTUs at global scales!
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
MicrobeAtlas - 2.4 million SSU rRNA gene sequence datasets systematically analysed against an extensive full length reference database enabling tracking of OTUs at global scales!
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
Clonal-aggregative multicellularity tuned by salinity in a choanoflagellate www.nature.com/articles/s41... #jcampubs
Clonal-aggregative multicellularity tuned by salinity in a choanoflagellate - Nature
The choanoflagellate Choanoeca flexa forms motile and contractile cell monolayers purely clonally, purely aggregatively or through a combination of both processes depending on environmental condi...
www.nature.com
February 25, 2026 at 5:06 PM
Clonal-aggregative multicellularity tuned by salinity in a choanoflagellate www.nature.com/articles/s41... #jcampubs
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
We are thrilled to announce the newest study from our lab (and great collaborators) is out now in @nature.com
We show that #coral #microbes are untapped "biosynthetic reservoirs", full of unique
natural products.
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
We show that #coral #microbes are untapped "biosynthetic reservoirs", full of unique
natural products.
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Coral microbiomes as reservoirs of unknown genomic and biosynthetic diversity - Nature
Reconstructing microbial genomes from 820 reef-building corals collected at 99 reefs across 32 islands throughout the Pacific Ocean highlights the importance of conserving coral reefs as vital reservo...
doi.org
February 25, 2026 at 7:37 PM
We are thrilled to announce the newest study from our lab (and great collaborators) is out now in @nature.com
We show that #coral #microbes are untapped "biosynthetic reservoirs", full of unique
natural products.
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
We show that #coral #microbes are untapped "biosynthetic reservoirs", full of unique
natural products.
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
By combining the ecological and evolutionary analyses, we present a Heimdallarchaeia-centric model for the origin of eukaryotes, based on our expanded genomic catalogue. #eukaryogenesis
9/12
9/12
February 18, 2026 at 4:22 PM
By combining the ecological and evolutionary analyses, we present a Heimdallarchaeia-centric model for the origin of eukaryotes, based on our expanded genomic catalogue. #eukaryogenesis
9/12
9/12
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
Objective method to estimate the duration of the DNA replication cycle without perturbation in Escherichia coli www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... #jcampubs
February 11, 2026 at 4:31 PM
Objective method to estimate the duration of the DNA replication cycle without perturbation in Escherichia coli www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... #jcampubs
Reposted by Chuankai Cheng
Today, I would like to honor the memory of Roger Y. Tsien, born on February 1, 1952. His legacy lives with all who use his technologies, including calcium sensors, fluorescent proteins, the acetoxymethyl (AM) ester, & many more! #FluorescenceFriday
www.nature.com/articles/nme...
www.nature.com/articles/nme...
January 30, 2026 at 2:52 PM
Today, I would like to honor the memory of Roger Y. Tsien, born on February 1, 1952. His legacy lives with all who use his technologies, including calcium sensors, fluorescent proteins, the acetoxymethyl (AM) ester, & many more! #FluorescenceFriday
www.nature.com/articles/nme...
www.nature.com/articles/nme...
Most importantly! Thanks a lot team! @greenwoodbritt.bsky.social , Pratixa, @hasrari.bsky.social , Carmen, Kate and Rui👏
Our latest. Led by the very talented @ahoiching.bsky.social
Cell cycle dysregulation of globally important SAR11 bacteria resulting from environmental perturbation www.nature.com/articles/s41... #jcampubs 🌊
Cell cycle dysregulation of globally important SAR11 bacteria resulting from environmental perturbation www.nature.com/articles/s41... #jcampubs 🌊
Cell cycle dysregulation of globally important SAR11 bacteria resulting from environmental perturbation - Nature Microbiology
Without key cell cycle control genes, SAR11 cells experience aneuploidy and growth inhibition when exposed to changes in nutrients, carbon sources or temperature stress, a vulnerability that may repre...
www.nature.com
January 24, 2026 at 3:38 AM
Most importantly! Thanks a lot team! @greenwoodbritt.bsky.social , Pratixa, @hasrari.bsky.social , Carmen, Kate and Rui👏
This paper originated from a simple idea: Since we want to study SAR11 growth physiology, let’s look at how one SAR11 bacterium becomes two SAR11 bacteria, inspired by the quote from François Jacob, “The dream of a bacterium: to produce two bacteria”.
Our latest. Led by the very talented @ahoiching.bsky.social
Cell cycle dysregulation of globally important SAR11 bacteria resulting from environmental perturbation www.nature.com/articles/s41... #jcampubs 🌊
Cell cycle dysregulation of globally important SAR11 bacteria resulting from environmental perturbation www.nature.com/articles/s41... #jcampubs 🌊
Cell cycle dysregulation of globally important SAR11 bacteria resulting from environmental perturbation - Nature Microbiology
Without key cell cycle control genes, SAR11 cells experience aneuploidy and growth inhibition when exposed to changes in nutrients, carbon sources or temperature stress, a vulnerability that may repre...
www.nature.com
January 24, 2026 at 3:08 AM
This paper originated from a simple idea: Since we want to study SAR11 growth physiology, let’s look at how one SAR11 bacterium becomes two SAR11 bacteria, inspired by the quote from François Jacob, “The dream of a bacterium: to produce two bacteria”.