Publications by authors named "Paul-Emile Contarini"
Article Synopsis
- Bacteria and Archaea are often thought to be small organisms (2-3 µm), but there are notable exceptions with giant bacteria like Beggiatoa spp. and Candidatus Thiomargarita magnifica that can reach sizes in the tens or even hundreds of micrometers.
- Research has mainly focused on their roles in the sulfur cycle, but giant bacteria have been largely overlooked in genomic studies despite their unique features, such as having hundreds to thousands of chromosomes.
- This paper summarizes existing knowledge about the genomics of giant bacteria and poses important questions that need further exploration in this area.
Thiovulum spp. (Campylobacterota) are large sulfur bacteria that form veil-like structures in aquatic environments. The sulfidic Movile Cave (Romania), sealed from the atmosphere for ~5 million years, has several aqueous chambers, some with low atmospheric O (~7%).
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