Bob Leung
@bobpmleung.bsky.social
Pok Man Leung 梁博聞 | Microbiologist | BSc @hkust | Ph.D @MonashBDI | ARC DECRA Fellow and Group Leader @MonashUni
Reposted by Bob Leung
New #PrePrint by #PhD @jodittmann.bsky.social open for discussion on @egubg.bsky.social investigating the question: 'Are #GhostForests a substantial source of #Methane from #Reservoirs?' 👻🪵
👇
egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/20...
👇
egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/20...
November 19, 2025 at 9:45 PM
New #PrePrint by #PhD @jodittmann.bsky.social open for discussion on @egubg.bsky.social investigating the question: 'Are #GhostForests a substantial source of #Methane from #Reservoirs?' 👻🪵
👇
egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/20...
👇
egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/20...
Reposted by Bob Leung
📢 Extra, extra: our collaborative study on trace gas oxidizers in a warmer soil is out as a preprint
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Big thanks to @thanh0109.bsky.social @bobpmleung.bsky.social @wutkowska.bsky.social @andreasrichter.bsky.social @mathildebio.bsky.social @greening.bsky.social
...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Big thanks to @thanh0109.bsky.social @bobpmleung.bsky.social @wutkowska.bsky.social @andreasrichter.bsky.social @mathildebio.bsky.social @greening.bsky.social
...
Soil trace gas oxidizers divergently respond to short- and long-term warming
The upland soil microbiome is dominated by aerobic bacteria that oxidize atmospheric trace gases, including CO, H2, and CH4. As a result, soils are the largest biological sink for these climate-active...
www.biorxiv.org
November 19, 2025 at 9:02 AM
📢 Extra, extra: our collaborative study on trace gas oxidizers in a warmer soil is out as a preprint
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Big thanks to @thanh0109.bsky.social @bobpmleung.bsky.social @wutkowska.bsky.social @andreasrichter.bsky.social @mathildebio.bsky.social @greening.bsky.social
...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Big thanks to @thanh0109.bsky.social @bobpmleung.bsky.social @wutkowska.bsky.social @andreasrichter.bsky.social @mathildebio.bsky.social @greening.bsky.social
...
Reposted by Bob Leung
New preprint: Methyl co-enzme M reductase encoding (potentially methanogenic) Thermoproteota are widespread and transcriptionally active in diverse anoxic ecosystems! @dr-zj.bsky.social, Matthew Kollom & @emileyeloe-fadrosh.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/... Funded by the DOE BER program.
October 16, 2025 at 9:10 PM
New preprint: Methyl co-enzme M reductase encoding (potentially methanogenic) Thermoproteota are widespread and transcriptionally active in diverse anoxic ecosystems! @dr-zj.bsky.social, Matthew Kollom & @emileyeloe-fadrosh.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/... Funded by the DOE BER program.
Reposted by Bob Leung
Very excited to share the latest work from our lab, which was published today in Nature!
nature.com/articles/s41...
PhD graduate and now post-doc Sofia Dahlman, along with co-senior author Sam Forster from The Hudson and other researchers from our lab and others.
nature.com/articles/s41...
PhD graduate and now post-doc Sofia Dahlman, along with co-senior author Sam Forster from The Hudson and other researchers from our lab and others.
Isolation, engineering and ecology of temperate phages from the human gut - Nature
Human host-associated cellular products may act as induction agents for bacteriophages.
nature.com
October 15, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Very excited to share the latest work from our lab, which was published today in Nature!
nature.com/articles/s41...
PhD graduate and now post-doc Sofia Dahlman, along with co-senior author Sam Forster from The Hudson and other researchers from our lab and others.
nature.com/articles/s41...
PhD graduate and now post-doc Sofia Dahlman, along with co-senior author Sam Forster from The Hudson and other researchers from our lab and others.
Reposted by Bob Leung
The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria blocks many antibiotics. Our latest work reveals that L-type pyocins bypass this barrier by inactivating the BAM complex, killing Pseudomonas aeruginosa without entering the cell, providing a new blueprint for beating antibiotic resistance.
A Protein Antibiotic Inhibits the BAM Complex to Kill Without Cell Entry
Many antibiotics are ineffective against Gram-negative pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa because they cannot penetrate the bacterial outer membrane. Here, we show that protein antibiotics calle...
www.biorxiv.org
September 20, 2025 at 9:29 AM
The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria blocks many antibiotics. Our latest work reveals that L-type pyocins bypass this barrier by inactivating the BAM complex, killing Pseudomonas aeruginosa without entering the cell, providing a new blueprint for beating antibiotic resistance.
Reposted by Bob Leung
Carbon monoxide metabolism in freshwater anaerobic methanotrophic archaea https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.16.676500v1
September 17, 2025 at 4:19 AM
Carbon monoxide metabolism in freshwater anaerobic methanotrophic archaea https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.16.676500v1
Reposted by Bob Leung
📢 PLEASE RT!
❄️ M2 Masters Internship: Metagenomic analysis of microbial cold adaptation in the cryosphere
🧬 Compile & curate ice nucleation & cold-adaptation protein database
🖥️ Build HMM profiles
🦠 Analyze existing metagenomic data using HMMs
☀️ Marseille, France
Apply by 15 Oct
❄️ M2 Masters Internship: Metagenomic analysis of microbial cold adaptation in the cryosphere
🧬 Compile & curate ice nucleation & cold-adaptation protein database
🖥️ Build HMM profiles
🦠 Analyze existing metagenomic data using HMMs
☀️ Marseille, France
Apply by 15 Oct
September 15, 2025 at 11:48 AM
📢 PLEASE RT!
❄️ M2 Masters Internship: Metagenomic analysis of microbial cold adaptation in the cryosphere
🧬 Compile & curate ice nucleation & cold-adaptation protein database
🖥️ Build HMM profiles
🦠 Analyze existing metagenomic data using HMMs
☀️ Marseille, France
Apply by 15 Oct
❄️ M2 Masters Internship: Metagenomic analysis of microbial cold adaptation in the cryosphere
🧬 Compile & curate ice nucleation & cold-adaptation protein database
🖥️ Build HMM profiles
🦠 Analyze existing metagenomic data using HMMs
☀️ Marseille, France
Apply by 15 Oct
Reposted by Bob Leung
2 Postdoc vacancies: Microbial dormancy in the cryosphere
@erc.europa.eu #ERC_SIESTA
📢 PLEASE RT
Experimental:
🧬 Single cell microbial activity measurements, flow cytometry, omics, biogeochem
Modelling:
🖥️ Bioenergetics, thermodynamics, ecological, biogeochem
☀️ Marseille, France
‼️ Apply by 30 Sept
@erc.europa.eu #ERC_SIESTA
📢 PLEASE RT
Experimental:
🧬 Single cell microbial activity measurements, flow cytometry, omics, biogeochem
Modelling:
🖥️ Bioenergetics, thermodynamics, ecological, biogeochem
☀️ Marseille, France
‼️ Apply by 30 Sept
September 10, 2025 at 8:11 AM
2 Postdoc vacancies: Microbial dormancy in the cryosphere
@erc.europa.eu #ERC_SIESTA
📢 PLEASE RT
Experimental:
🧬 Single cell microbial activity measurements, flow cytometry, omics, biogeochem
Modelling:
🖥️ Bioenergetics, thermodynamics, ecological, biogeochem
☀️ Marseille, France
‼️ Apply by 30 Sept
@erc.europa.eu #ERC_SIESTA
📢 PLEASE RT
Experimental:
🧬 Single cell microbial activity measurements, flow cytometry, omics, biogeochem
Modelling:
🖥️ Bioenergetics, thermodynamics, ecological, biogeochem
☀️ Marseille, France
‼️ Apply by 30 Sept
Reposted by Bob Leung
🧪 🥼 🥽 Looking for tools to answer questions related to energy and infrastructure security? Now's your chance to apply for an investigator role at Berkeley Lab's @jgi.doe.gov.
Apply today! ⬇️
Deadline: September 9
Please share!
Apply today! ⬇️
Deadline: September 9
Please share!
Are YOU a researcher in need of genomics tools to answer questions related to energy & infrastructure security? 🖥️🧬
If you haven’t led a project w/the JGI, now is your chance! Deadline SEPT. 9: jointgeno.me/CSPnewPI
Learn more in our Proposal FAQ: jgi.doe.gov/work-with-us...
@axelvisel.bsky.social
If you haven’t led a project w/the JGI, now is your chance! Deadline SEPT. 9: jointgeno.me/CSPnewPI
Learn more in our Proposal FAQ: jgi.doe.gov/work-with-us...
@axelvisel.bsky.social
CSP New Investigator Call | Joint Genome Institute
The CSP New Investigator Call is for investigators and research initiatives new to the JGI. Projects must be independent of ongoing JGI proposals, and lead PIs cannot have been lead PI on any previous...
jointgeno.me
August 18, 2025 at 3:46 PM
🧪 🥼 🥽 Looking for tools to answer questions related to energy and infrastructure security? Now's your chance to apply for an investigator role at Berkeley Lab's @jgi.doe.gov.
Apply today! ⬇️
Deadline: September 9
Please share!
Apply today! ⬇️
Deadline: September 9
Please share!
Reposted by Bob Leung
“Isolation of a new methanotroph belonging to Mycobacterium” is now out! Awesome work by my former postdoc Hiromi Kambara, who led this project all the way.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
First isolation of a methanotrophic Mycobacterium reveals ammonia- and pH-tolerant methane oxidation | Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Methane is a significant contributor to climate change (27 times more potent as a
greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide), and the largest biological sink is methane-oxidizing
bacteria: methanotrophs. Alt...
journals.asm.org
August 1, 2025 at 6:37 AM
“Isolation of a new methanotroph belonging to Mycobacterium” is now out! Awesome work by my former postdoc Hiromi Kambara, who led this project all the way.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Reposted by Bob Leung
📣 New paper alert!
One of the most exciting projects we've done in recent years is now out on BioRxiv: "An Asgard archaeon from a modern analog of ancient microbial mats".
Glimpse into early complex life! ❄️🦠 🔬🧬
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1.... A thread...
One of the most exciting projects we've done in recent years is now out on BioRxiv: "An Asgard archaeon from a modern analog of ancient microbial mats".
Glimpse into early complex life! ❄️🦠 🔬🧬
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1.... A thread...
An Asgard archaeon from a modern analog of ancient microbial mats
It has been proposed that eukaryotic cells evolved via symbiosis between sulfate-reducing bacteria and hydrogen-producing archaea. Here we describe a highly enriched culture of a novel Asgard archaeon...
www.biorxiv.org
July 25, 2025 at 1:29 PM
📣 New paper alert!
One of the most exciting projects we've done in recent years is now out on BioRxiv: "An Asgard archaeon from a modern analog of ancient microbial mats".
Glimpse into early complex life! ❄️🦠 🔬🧬
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1.... A thread...
One of the most exciting projects we've done in recent years is now out on BioRxiv: "An Asgard archaeon from a modern analog of ancient microbial mats".
Glimpse into early complex life! ❄️🦠 🔬🧬
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1.... A thread...
Reposted by Bob Leung
Our article showing energy production from air alone is in PNAS today. This paper provides an ultimate biochemical proof that microbes can survive simply by 'making' energy from air (making two ATP per molecule atmospheric H2 consumed) and has biotech applications. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
ATP synthesis driven by atmospheric hydrogen concentrations | PNAS
All cells require a continuous supply of the universal energy currency, adenosine
triphosphate (ATP), to drive countless cellular reactions. The un...
www.pnas.org
July 25, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Our article showing energy production from air alone is in PNAS today. This paper provides an ultimate biochemical proof that microbes can survive simply by 'making' energy from air (making two ATP per molecule atmospheric H2 consumed) and has biotech applications. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Bob Leung
Congratulations 🎉 now on line at @isme-microbes.bsky.social : Comparative genome analysis reveals broad phylogenetic and functional diversity within the order #Nitrospirales
Linnea Kop et al
#microbiology @ribesresearch.bsky.social (RIBES) icw
@univie.ac.at academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...
Linnea Kop et al
#microbiology @ribesresearch.bsky.social (RIBES) icw
@univie.ac.at academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...
July 23, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Congratulations 🎉 now on line at @isme-microbes.bsky.social : Comparative genome analysis reveals broad phylogenetic and functional diversity within the order #Nitrospirales
Linnea Kop et al
#microbiology @ribesresearch.bsky.social (RIBES) icw
@univie.ac.at academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...
Linnea Kop et al
#microbiology @ribesresearch.bsky.social (RIBES) icw
@univie.ac.at academic.oup.com/ismej/advanc...
Reposted by Bob Leung
Out in @natbiotech.nature.com: Metagenome taxonomy profilers usually ignore unknown species. SingleM is an accurate profiler which doesn't, even detecting phyla with no MAGs. Profiles of 700,000 metagenomes at sandpiper.qut.edu.au. A 🧵
July 16, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Out in @natbiotech.nature.com: Metagenome taxonomy profilers usually ignore unknown species. SingleM is an accurate profiler which doesn't, even detecting phyla with no MAGs. Profiles of 700,000 metagenomes at sandpiper.qut.edu.au. A 🧵
Reposted by Bob Leung
New #methanogen culture just dropped! Check out the 'Methanonezhaarchaeia'! Happy to see this one out. A new methylotrophic methanogen cultivated from a hot spring in Yellowstone National Park. Gives insights into the metabolic diversity and evolution of this group. #microsky 🦠🔥 tinyurl.com/yw8ku2bj
July 1, 2025 at 1:44 PM
New #methanogen culture just dropped! Check out the 'Methanonezhaarchaeia'! Happy to see this one out. A new methylotrophic methanogen cultivated from a hot spring in Yellowstone National Park. Gives insights into the metabolic diversity and evolution of this group. #microsky 🦠🔥 tinyurl.com/yw8ku2bj
Reposted by Bob Leung
Preprint🚨 #microsky 🦠 “Cultivation of Methanonezhaarchaeia, the third class of methanogens within the phylum Thermoproteota”, authored by @kohtzarchaeota.bsky.social & Sylvia Nupp, expands the diversity of methanogens! 90% enriched, methylotrophic culture from a hot spring. A 🧵 tinyurl.com/yw8ku2bj
June 26, 2025 at 4:44 AM
Preprint🚨 #microsky 🦠 “Cultivation of Methanonezhaarchaeia, the third class of methanogens within the phylum Thermoproteota”, authored by @kohtzarchaeota.bsky.social & Sylvia Nupp, expands the diversity of methanogens! 90% enriched, methylotrophic culture from a hot spring. A 🧵 tinyurl.com/yw8ku2bj
Reposted by Bob Leung
In about a week we (Biological Sciences @ Monash Uni in Melbourne, Australia) will be opening a search for 3 (!!!) permanent academic positions (40% research, 40% teaching, 20% service) at Lecturer/Senior Lecturer. 1 Genomics, 2 Ecology. Please share, email me, DM, follow, send carrier pigeons…
June 24, 2025 at 12:27 PM
In about a week we (Biological Sciences @ Monash Uni in Melbourne, Australia) will be opening a search for 3 (!!!) permanent academic positions (40% research, 40% teaching, 20% service) at Lecturer/Senior Lecturer. 1 Genomics, 2 Ecology. Please share, email me, DM, follow, send carrier pigeons…
Reposted by Bob Leung
Hope this is useful - consensus statement "Guidelines for preventing and reporting contamination in low-biomass microbiome studies" rdcu.be/er3Io
Guidelines for preventing and reporting contamination in low-biomass microbiome studies
Nature Microbiology - In this Consensus Statement, the authors outline strategies for processing, analysing and interpreting low-biomass microbiome samples, and provide recommendations to minimize...
rdcu.be
June 21, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Hope this is useful - consensus statement "Guidelines for preventing and reporting contamination in low-biomass microbiome studies" rdcu.be/er3Io
Reposted by Bob Leung
Would you like to work with us?
At JAMSTEC, we are recruiting postdoctoral researchers through the Young Research Fellow program.
This program allows fellows to independently pursue their own research projects.
www.jamstec.go.jp/recruit/e/jy...
At JAMSTEC, we are recruiting postdoctoral researchers through the Young Research Fellow program.
This program allows fellows to independently pursue their own research projects.
www.jamstec.go.jp/recruit/e/jy...
JAMSTEC Young Research Fellow (JYRF) | JAMSTEC - JAPAN AGENCY FOR MARINE-EARTH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
JAMSTEC Young Research Fellow (JYRF)
www.jamstec.go.jp
June 4, 2025 at 7:38 AM
Would you like to work with us?
At JAMSTEC, we are recruiting postdoctoral researchers through the Young Research Fellow program.
This program allows fellows to independently pursue their own research projects.
www.jamstec.go.jp/recruit/e/jy...
At JAMSTEC, we are recruiting postdoctoral researchers through the Young Research Fellow program.
This program allows fellows to independently pursue their own research projects.
www.jamstec.go.jp/recruit/e/jy...
Reposted by Bob Leung
Very excited to share that I’ve been awarded the @aussocmic.bsky.social 2025 Jim Pittard Award! (alongside the fantastic Rhys Parry and Heema Vyas!) 🦠 🌾
The award recognises the important contributions of Aus researchers to microbiology at the ECR stage, as well as their contributions to ASM.
The award recognises the important contributions of Aus researchers to microbiology at the ECR stage, as well as their contributions to ASM.
May 29, 2025 at 1:58 AM
Very excited to share that I’ve been awarded the @aussocmic.bsky.social 2025 Jim Pittard Award! (alongside the fantastic Rhys Parry and Heema Vyas!) 🦠 🌾
The award recognises the important contributions of Aus researchers to microbiology at the ECR stage, as well as their contributions to ASM.
The award recognises the important contributions of Aus researchers to microbiology at the ECR stage, as well as their contributions to ASM.
Reposted by Bob Leung
We are recruiting for a PhD student who wants to understand how bacterial membranes are built and how they function. It would be a biology meets maths project … if this piques your interest take a look here: macsys.org/monash-phd-s... for project details and contact info
May 20, 2025 at 10:57 AM
We are recruiting for a PhD student who wants to understand how bacterial membranes are built and how they function. It would be a biology meets maths project … if this piques your interest take a look here: macsys.org/monash-phd-s... for project details and contact info
Reposted by Bob Leung
Very proud of this story - driven by @laurenbird.bsky.social -uncovering the ways Coxiella messes with the lysosome. This has been such a fun collaboration with @lauraem-lab.bsky.social raising many new questions!
@monashuniversity.bsky.social @thedohertyinst.bsky.social @natcommag.bsky.social
@monashuniversity.bsky.social @thedohertyinst.bsky.social @natcommag.bsky.social
Excited to share this story from my PhD, out today in Nature Communications! We show that Coxiella removes cathepsin B to reduce lysosomal hostility and promote bacterial success. This depends on a vacuole established by effector CvpB.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Coxiella burnetii manipulates the lysosomal protease cathepsin B to facilitate intracellular success - Nature Communications
The zoonotic pathogen Coxiella burnetiiestablishes a unique intracellular niche within a lysosome-derived vacuole. Here Bird et al. undertook proteomic, cell biology and microbiology approaches to cha...
www.nature.com
April 25, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Very proud of this story - driven by @laurenbird.bsky.social -uncovering the ways Coxiella messes with the lysosome. This has been such a fun collaboration with @lauraem-lab.bsky.social raising many new questions!
@monashuniversity.bsky.social @thedohertyinst.bsky.social @natcommag.bsky.social
@monashuniversity.bsky.social @thedohertyinst.bsky.social @natcommag.bsky.social
Reposted by Bob Leung
The T-series bacteriophages have impacted my career and are microbes our lab's research continues to use as model organisms.
You can read more as part of @natmicrobiol.nature.com 'Microbes Matter' series below:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
You can read more as part of @natmicrobiol.nature.com 'Microbes Matter' series below:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The T-series bacteriophages are reductionist models that continue to shape the field - Nature Microbiology
Jeremy Barr discusses how he began studying bacteriophages, the historic use of the T-series phages and how they have shaped the field.
www.nature.com
April 15, 2025 at 1:16 AM
The T-series bacteriophages have impacted my career and are microbes our lab's research continues to use as model organisms.
You can read more as part of @natmicrobiol.nature.com 'Microbes Matter' series below:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
You can read more as part of @natmicrobiol.nature.com 'Microbes Matter' series below:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Bob Leung
Congratulations to the 30 new users whose proposals have been accepted for our New Investigator call, part of our #CommunityScience Program. Learn more about their projects below.
jointgeno.me/CSPNI_FY25 🖥️🧬🧪🦠🌱🍄
@nigelmouncey.bsky.social @axelvisel.bsky.social @berkeleylab.lbl.gov
jointgeno.me/CSPNI_FY25 🖥️🧬🧪🦠🌱🍄
@nigelmouncey.bsky.social @axelvisel.bsky.social @berkeleylab.lbl.gov
JGI Announces 2025 New Investigator Portfolio | Joint Genome Institute
Pictured from left: [Top] Bill J.
jointgeno.me
April 9, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Congratulations to the 30 new users whose proposals have been accepted for our New Investigator call, part of our #CommunityScience Program. Learn more about their projects below.
jointgeno.me/CSPNI_FY25 🖥️🧬🧪🦠🌱🍄
@nigelmouncey.bsky.social @axelvisel.bsky.social @berkeleylab.lbl.gov
jointgeno.me/CSPNI_FY25 🖥️🧬🧪🦠🌱🍄
@nigelmouncey.bsky.social @axelvisel.bsky.social @berkeleylab.lbl.gov