Karthik Anantharaman
Associate Professor at UW-Madison. Interested in Microbial and Viral Ecology, Computational Biology, Biogeochemistry, Sulfur Metabolism 🦠💻 Hero to a toddler • Metalhead • Views mine
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanExcited to share that @michelle-hauer.bsky.social's paper with @katiekliermicrobe.bsky.social @maggielangwig.bsky.social @karthik-a.bsky.social on phage interactions with chemosynthetic symbionts was published today. #NSF and @schmidtocean.bsky.social supported. academic.oup.com/ismecommun/a...
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanViral theft of light: A cyanophage protein dismantles cyanobacterial photosynthesis to accelerate infection www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...
- News article from @uwmadison.bsky.social describing our recent study on viruses in peatland soils! news.wisc.edu/viruses-foun...
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanNew preprint led by @annaschreck.bsky.social that capitalized on the wealth of publicly available 18S rRNA datasets to explore the oceanic distribution and diversity of understudied anaerobic ciliates. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanCody also put in a ton of extra work to make the code organized and usable in the GitHub repo: github.com/Anantharaman... It links to a Colab notebook for model inference, training data, and pretrained models.
- Excited for our new paper on a genome language model for viruses in @natcomms.nature.com: "Protein Set Transformer: a protein-based genome language model to power high-diversity viromics"! Led by PhD student Cody Martin in collaboration with @anthonygitter.bsky.social doi.org/10.1038/s414...
- Our research introduces a novel language model designed specifically for proteins, tackling the complexity of viral proteins—the "viral dark matter." PST enhances protein understanding and power high-throughput viromics to reveal hidden ecological & functional insights in viral genomic datasets.
- Key findings include: Improved Protein Functional Prediction: Leveraging the Protein Set Transformer, we can make more accurate predictions about viral protein functions, even in cases where homology is absent.
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View full threadThis research represents a significant step towards understanding the crucial roles of viruses in ecosystems. Excited to see where this will lead us in virology and microbial ecology!
- Excited to have our new study on viruses in peatlands out in @natmicrobiol.nature.com! #phagesky #MicroSky
- #NewResearch Viral diversity and community structure are shaped by geography and ecosystem health status, positioning viruses as unexpected players in peatland restoration. @kosmopoulos.bsky.social @ashish-malik.bsky.social @karthik-a.bsky.social #MicroSky 🦠 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
- Very excited to share this latest research in Nature Microbiology led by PhD student @kosmopoulos.bsky.social in collaboration with @ashish-malik.bsky.social. #phagesky #Microsky
- #NewResearch Viral diversity and community structure are shaped by geography and ecosystem health status, positioning viruses as unexpected players in peatland restoration. @kosmopoulos.bsky.social @ashish-malik.bsky.social @karthik-a.bsky.social #MicroSky 🦠 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
- Our paper "Ecosystem health shapes viral ecology in peatland soils" is out in Nature Microbiology! We show that peatland health strongly structures viral communities, shaping virus–host networks, and carbon and nutrient cycling. Please share. www.nature.com/articles/s41... #phagesky #Microsky
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanSo 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 💧
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanSoil viruses are important regulators of ecosystem function, but what are their roles in environments that face long-term degradation and restoration? In our paper published today in Nature Micro, we asked how soil viruses influence peatland recovery, and vice versa. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanNew paper out: An archaeal genetic code with all TAG codons as pyrrolysine: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
- Excited to share our new review article on Viral Dark Matter led by PhD student @kosmopoulos.bsky.social. We talk about what is known and unknown in the world of viruses (specifically phage), and highlight future opportunities for research and biotechnology. pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
- Thrilled to be recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher for 2025! This honor truly reflects the creativity, drive, and dedication of our lab team (past and present), and our incredible collaborators and scientific community. Here’s to pushing boundaries together! clarivate.com/highly-cited...
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanViral "dark matter" dominates the virosphere. In this review by me & @karthik-a.bsky.social, we synthesize what's known, highlight major gaps, and outline paths forward for illuminating viral protein functions in diverse ecosystems.
- Excited to share our new review article on Viral Dark Matter led by PhD student @kosmopoulos.bsky.social. We talk about what is known and unknown in the world of viruses (specifically phage), and highlight future opportunities for research and biotechnology. pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanA wonderful collaboration between my lab and Andy Ellington and Edward Marcotte here at UT. We obtained lots of thermal stable plastic degrading enzymes from the deep sea (Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California)
- Delighted and honored to meet with the one and only Bruce Levin today who was the MDTP student invited speaker at UW-Madison!
- 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...
- 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...
- Reposted by Karthik Anantharaman📢 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...
- New paper alert! We suggest caution in the analyses of viral auxiliary metabolic genes and propose a new overarching term - 'auxiliary viral genes' (AVGs) to describe different types of such genes. @simrouxvirus.bsky.social #phagesky #Microsky www.nature.com/articles/s41...
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanAdvice from NSF: grant proposals can still include outreach, community engagement, and so on. But avoid specifying particular groups
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanTomorrow at 12:45-1:30 in the EEB Track Hub in the poster hall #ASMmicrobe I am talking about microbial diversity including Asgard archaea, and an expanded tree of life from marine sediments.
- Excited to be a part of this effort from Mandy Joye's group showing the role of heterotrophs in deep sea carbon cycling!
- Deep-sea #hydrothermal plumes support an array of microbial metabolisms, but the fate of organic C is unknown. Here, the authors used metabolic rate assays and metagenomic data to show that heterotrophic bacteria contribute significantly to C cycling in the deep #sea. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanUltrafast and accurate sequence alignment and clustering of viral genomes | Nature Methods nature.com/articles/s41592-025…
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanVery excited this part of my PhD is out 🎉 We describe vent viral and microbial traits that govern viral biogeography and contribute to mounting evidence that these communities are highly endemic, and thus likely vulnerable to disruptive activities like deep sea mining #Microbiome #DeepSeaMining
- Excited to share our lab's latest work led by PhD student @maggielangwig.bsky.social describing the ecology and evolution of viruses in globally distributed hydrothermal vents. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanA few weeks ago we met in the Scottish Highlands to launch our HFSP @hfspo.bsky.social funded project on virus-prokaryotic interactions in wetlands and impact on the methane cycle. What a fantastic team to be part of. @karthik-a.bsky.social @soilmicrobes.bsky.social & Joanne Emerson
- Excited to share our lab's latest work led by PhD student @maggielangwig.bsky.social describing the ecology and evolution of viruses in globally distributed hydrothermal vents. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
- Excited to share our lab's latest work led by PhD student @maggielangwig.bsky.social describing the ecology and evolution of viruses in globally distributed hydrothermal vents. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanCome and work with me! The Nature Micro team is expanding and we're looking for someone to champion microbial ecology, plant micro & related areas for the journal Knowledge of microbial ecology/plant micro is desirable but we're open to applications from all microbiologists Link below 👇
- 📢We are #hiring a full time editor to handle areas including microbial ecology & plant microbiology🦠🌱 This position will work closely with @naturecomms.bsky.social #microsky #microbiomesky #ecologysky 🧪 Available in NYC, Madrid, or other US offices Read more & apply here: shorturl.at/yvdYJ
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanOur perspective on soil virus ecology research is out! Fantastic collab with @christinahazard.bsky.social @karthik-a.bsky.social @lukehillary.bsky.social @urineri.bsky.social @simrouxvirus.bsky.social @gtrubl.bsky.social @KurtWilliams @jeffinerca.bsky.social @graemenicol.bsky.social @JoanneEmerson
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanAmidst all the bad news, I still want to share two new preprints from our lab group. The first is led by newly minted Dr. Michelle Hauer, in collaboration with @karthik-a.bsky.social @katiekliermicrobe.bsky.social and @maggielangwig.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
- This was published in the top newspaper in India. So much for "news". timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/w...
- Our lab had a great time at the IBSE Microbiome Symposium. Looking forward to this in the future again.
- It was great to host @jeffinerca.bsky.social and learn about her inspirational work in the persistence of soil carbon. Hosted by the IBSE Microbiome Symposium at IIT Madras.
- Great talk by Tanja Woyke on very exciting upcoming technological advancements in single cell genomics at @jgi.doe.gov Hosted by the IBSE Microbiome Symposium at IIT Madras.
- Excited and grateful to have Brett Baker and Paul Wilmes at the IBSE Microbiome Symposium at IIT Madras. Forever amazed by their brilliant science. @archaeal.bsky.social @paulwilmes.bsky.social
- Cody Martin from lab our presenting his work on deep learning and the development of 'PST' for viral ecology at the IBSE Microbiome Symposium at IIT Madras in Chennai, India.
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanPhage taxonomy doesn’t have to be taxing, my latest cartoon for the Phage journal. To illustrate 𝘁𝗮𝘅𝗠𝘆𝗣𝗵𝗮𝗴𝗲 lnkd.in/dAXK4sSt @milja001.bsky.social
- Excited to have Jill Banfield present the opening keynote at the IBSE Microbiome Symposium at IIT Madras yesterday.
- Studies only making reads available may satisfy journal requirements but do not serve the larger community. If you work with any form of metagenomics/genomics data, and are for open access and FAIR data policies...Please consider making ALL your data public (genomes, proteins, reads, metadata).
- Putting on my editor's hat for my yearly rant about scientists who do not review manuscripts enough for journals. As a quantitative approach, consider reviewing 3X the papers submitted by you or your lab in a calendar year (the number 3X comes from if you expect 3 reviews for your own papers).
- New lab paper alert: Presenting "Prophage-DB", a database of prophages mined from public databases along with metadata. environmentalmicrobiome.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....
- Reposted by Karthik Anantharaman🚨Postdoc position(s) alert🚨 If you like to develop new bioinformatic tools for *human* microbiome analysis, are interested by virus/phages, we (JGI Viral Genomics and Microbiome Data groups) may have a great position for you ! No official job posting yet, but email or DM if you are interested !
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanCheck out our new preprint on viruses associated with Karenia brevis blooms! 🦠 🌊 🧪 🧬 @cmarinescience.bsky.social
- Diverse ssRNA viruses associated with Karenia brevis harmful algal blooms in Southwest Florida biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/202…
- News and Views by @naturemicrobiol.bsky.social on our recent papers describing the 20-year study of ecology and evolution of viruses and bacteria in freshwater systems. @archaeal.bsky.social @quendi.bsky.social @uwmadison.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanOUT NOW Unraveling viral ecology and evolution over twenty years in a freshwater lake @karthik-a.bsky.social & co www.nature.com/articles/s41...
- New paper alert: Our 20-year study of viral ecology and evolution reveals viral roles in microbial dynamics, phage genome evolution over time, and key interactions with hosts. A big thank you to our awesome collaborators @quendi.bsky.social @archaeal.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanIn an accompanying study we tracked the viral ecology of the same samples in collaboration with @karthik-a.bsky.social team at UW t.co/nj4QSA7nXE
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanAfter 24 years of work, I’m thrilled to announce the TYMEFLIES dataset, which comprises metagenomes from Lake Mendota (Madison, WI), collected roughly every 10 days (471 samples) for 20 years! @quendi.bsky.social @robinrohwer.bsky.social rdcu.be/d5put A thread…
- New paper alert: Our 20-year study of viral ecology and evolution reveals viral roles in microbial dynamics, phage genome evolution over time, and key interactions with hosts. A big thank you to our awesome collaborators @quendi.bsky.social @archaeal.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...
- A full text link to the paper: rdcu.be/d5pud
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanOpen rank position alert (share away): The Dept. of Biology at the U of Maryland, College Park invites applications from individuals studying fundamental questions in ecology and evolutionary biology using microbial systems for a tenure-track or tenured position at any rank bit.ly/ecoevomicro-...
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanSpecies Of Blue-Green Algae Announces IPO theonion.com/species-of-b...
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanUpdated program for the 2025 GRC Applied and Environmental Microbiology "Bridging Scales to Unveil the Power of Environmental Microbiology" (July 13-18, 2025)! (Consider mentioning of @thuls.bsky.social or myself as stand-ins) Join us! grc.org/applied-and-environmental-microbiology-conference/2025/
- Reposted by Karthik Anantharamanit’s not widely publicized but the minions were designed to represent various medically important protozoan parasites 🦠 🧫 🧪
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanReposting this again - We are looking for a postdoc to study the physiology, evolution, and cell biology of anaerobic ciliate-methanogen symbioses using 'omics, experiments, and/or microscopy. Still accepting inquiries, and I would love to hear from interested candidates.
- We are pretty close to the landfall zone of Cyclone Fengal. The next 48 hours are going to be interesting...80 km/hr winds, tons of rain and flooding.
- Reposted by Karthik AnantharamanReupping this since the explosion in members here. I’m looking to recruit PhD candidates to work with me in #Bioinformatics and thr human #microbiome Details 👇 Please share 😁 www.flinders.edu.au/scholarships...
- Would it be possible for PhD programs to ask for reference letters only for shortlisted candidates? A majority of faculty/postdoc applications already do this. What would be the arguments against this?
- Wishing everyone a happy thanksgiving.
