J. D. Wall

Selection against admixture and gene regulatory divergence in a long-term primate field study

The paper combines field observations and genomic data from baboons to study admixture and gene regulatory divergence, finding selection against introgression similar to archaic hominins.

Biofilm competency of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough facilitates colonization in the gut and represses adenoma development in a rat model of colon cancer

This study shows that biofilm-forming Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough colonizes rat colons and reduces adenoma development, while biofilm-deficient strains do not persist and increase mucin expression.

How a Formate Dehydrogenase Responds to Oxygen: Unexpected O2 Insensitivity of an Enzyme Harboring Tungstopterin, Selenocysteine, and Clusters.

This paper characterizes an O2-insensitive FDH2 from Desulfovibrio vulgaris that couples formate oxidation to CO2 production without superoxide release, revealing redox bifurcation and implications for biofuel cell design.

Biofilm Interaction Mapping and Analysis (BIMA): A tool for deconstructing interspecific interactions in co-culture biofilms

The paper introduces BIMA, a method to analyze interspecific interactions in biofilm co-cultures by examining colony morphology, inhibition, invasion, and associated genes/metabolites.

Large-scale Genetic Characterization of a Model Sulfate Reducing Bacterium

This study characterizes the genetic essentiality and conditional phenotypes of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough using a transposon mutant library under various metabolic and stress conditions.

Evolution of genes involved in the unusual genitals of the bear macaque, Macaca arctoides

The paper analyzes the evolutionary history and genetic basis of unique genital morphology in the bear macaque, identifying outlier genes associated with genital traits and showing evidence of introgression.

Genomic variation and population histories of spotted (Strix occidentalis) and barred (S. varia) owls

This study analyzes genomic variation and population histories of spotted and barred owls, identifying hybrids and revealing genetic isolation and population bottlenecks.

A comparison of humans and baboons suggests germline mutation rates do not track cell divisions

This paper compares germline mutation rates between humans and baboons, finding similar male mutation bias despite differences in reproductive timing, challenging the cell division hypothesis.

Kinetics of enzymatic mercury methylation at nanomolar concentrations catalyzed by HgcAB

This study reports the kinetics of HgcAB-mediated mercury methylation at nanomolar concentrations, showing high oxygen sensitivity and Michaelis-Menten kinetics with specific KM and Vmax values.

Filling Gaps in Bacterial Amino Acid Biosynthesis Pathways with High-throughput Genetics

The paper identifies novel enzymes filling amino acid biosynthesis gaps in bacteria using genome-wide mutant fitness data, revealing previously unknown pathways for methionine, threonine, serine, and histidine synthesis.