BMAC Weekly — 2026-W35
8 papers selected for 2026-W35.
2026-08-18–2026-08-24 · 8 papers
Metabolic switching promotes microbial coexistence under fluctuating resources
YP Tseng, A Letten, J Engelstaedter
2026-08-19 · bioRxiv
TL;DR. Simulations of consumer-resource models show that microbes switching between respiratory and fermentative metabolism can coexist with specialists under intermediate resource fluctuations.
Key signal. Metabolic switching generates growth responses distinct from specialists, enabling coexistence under intermediate fluctuation regimes, with faster, more responsive switching enhancing competitive ability.
Why it matters here. Directly informs Fangzhou's work on dynamic metabolism and microbial community ecology by showing how metabolic flexibility (overflow metabolism) creates temporal niches for coexistence.
Protein-language-model-based antibiotic resistance gene prediction and resistomes mining in cyanobacterial blooms
Haimeng Li, Miao Qi, Xin Wang, Honglei Liu, Qiuying Yang, Hui Chen, Rui Jiang, Ting Chen, Yuqing Yang, Congmin Zhu
2026-08-01 · Water Research X
TL;DR. A protein language model (ESMARG) predicted antibiotic resistance genes in cyanobacterial bloom metagenomes with high precision, revealing seasonal ARG dynamics and links to microbial community structure.
Key signal. ESMARG outperformed alignment-based and deep learning tools, identifying 145 ARGs with abundance peaking in summer, and structural equation modeling linked ARG abundance to cyanobacterial abundance and bacterial replication-and-repair functions.
Why it matters here. Showcases a biology-enabling generative method (protein language model) applied to microbial physiology and community dynamics, aligning with Fangzhou's interest in data-driven and generative approaches for biological systems.
Low-level phage residues in manure are associated with shifts in microbial communities and resistance-related profiles
Youshun Jin, Yanyan Wang, Hafiz Muhammad Hamza Rasool, Xiaoqiang Zhang, Duojie Caidan, Kastai Nurdaly, Jingang Duan, Yunlong Sun, Shuyu Wang, Zhaocai Li, Xiaowei Gong, Qiwei Chen, Tao Ran, Jizhang Zhou
2026-08-17 · Environment International
TL;DR. Low-level phage residues in chicken manure were associated with reduced bacterial diversity, increased antibiotic resistance genes and mobile genetic elements in manure microcosms.
Key signal. Even <1% of administered phages in fecal input restructured microbial communities, with Psychrobacter enrichment linked to resistance-related gene dynamics.
Why it matters here. Relevant to Fangzhou's interest in microbial communities and antibiotic resistance, as it shows how phage inputs (relevant to phage therapy) can reshape community composition and resistance profiles.
Recent developments in biohydrogen production through dark fermentation of biomass waste: feedstocks, microbial population dynamics, and system integration
Tarekegn Limore Binchebo, Satyanarayana Narra, Venkata Ramayya Ancha, Solomon Kebede Asefa, Teka Tesfaye Mengesha, Edo Begna Jiru, Mona-Maria Narra
2026-08-20 · Frontiers in Energy Research
TL;DR. A review of dark fermentation for biohydrogen production covering feedstock characteristics, microbial community dynamics, and system integration.
Key signal. Carbohydrate substrates are ideal, but lignocellulosic biomass requires pretreatment; process stability is influenced by hydrogen partial pressure, byproducts, and competition from methanogens and lactic acid bacteria.
Why it matters here. Connects to Fangzhou's interest in microbial population dynamics and fermentation ecology, providing an overview of community-level factors in a biotechnological context.
Multi-site wastewater metagenomics reveals geographically distinct microbial communities and plasmid-mediated antimicrobial resistance co-selection in Zambia
Charlie C Luchen, Marlon Banda, Jay Sikalima, Innocent Mwape, Dickson Sandala, Kennedy Chibesa, Mapeesho Kamayani, Mike Masona, Ben Katowa, Keith Kabengele, Lugard Sichalwe, Clement Phiri, Noah Hull, Chipo Mambo, Ephraim Chandela, Mwelwa Chibuye, Precious Simushi, Suwilanji Silwamba, Chilufya Mulenga, Michael Njuguna, Fatim Jallow, Michael Kachumi, Dhally M. Menda, Victor Daka, Caroline Cleopatra Chisenga, Michelo Simuyandi, Samuel Bosomprah, Doreen Mainza Shempela, Walter Muleya, Paul Simusika, Karen Sichinga, Edgar Simulundu, Roma Chilengi, Clement Phiri
2026-08-17 · Scientific Reports
TL;DR. Wastewater metagenomics across five Zambian districts revealed geographically distinct microbial communities and plasmid-mediated antimicrobial resistance co-selection.
Key signal. qacEΔ1 disinfectant resistance genes co-occurred with sulfonamide and aminoglycoside resistance determinants, suggesting biocide-mediated co-selection in environmental resistomes.
Why it matters here. Relevant to Fangzhou's interest in microbial communities and antibiotic resistance, illustrating how environmental surveillance can uncover plasmid-mediated resistance dynamics.
Input-to-state stability of chemical reaction networks with application to molecular computation
姜仁雷, Xiaoyu Zhang, Chuanhou Gao, Denis Dochain
2026-08-13 · arXiv (Cornell University)
TL;DR. This paper establishes input-to-state stability (ISS) for a broader class of weakly reversible chemical reaction networks and extends to non-weakly reversible networks via transformation techniques.
Key signal. ISS is certified for weakly reversible CRNs with nonzero deficiency and multiple linkage classes, and for certain non-weakly reversible networks through linear conjugacy and reconstruction.
Why it matters here. An enabling-method wildcard: provides a stability framework for biochemical reaction networks, which could support modeling of biomolecular computation or synthetic genetic circuits in Fangzhou's future work.
Putative anaerobic transformation pathway of microcystin-RR inferred from 15N labeling and multi-omics in an enriched shrimp pond sediment microbial community
Chuanyin Liu, Jingjing Zhang, Rui Chen, Xiangdong Bi, Wei Dai, Wenjie Zhao, Dajuan Zhang, Qian Wang, Xinyu Wang
2026-08-19 · PLoS ONE
TL;DR. Using 15N labeling and multi-omics, this study inferred an anaerobic transformation pathway for microcystin-RR in an enriched sediment microbial community.
Key signal. The degradation involves hydrolytic ring-opening, deamination, and decarboxylation, with upregulation of non-canonical peptidases and DNRA pathway genes, suggesting a mlr-independent system.
Why it matters here. Relevant to Fangzhou's interest in microbial community function and metabolism, demonstrating how multi-omics can reveal degradation pathways in complex communities.
Microbial ecology of salted food products: Preservation, safety, and innovation
Matheus P.S. Láscaris, Anderson S. Sant’Ana
2026-08-22 · Food Control
TL;DR. A review of microbial ecology in salted foods covers salt's selective role, pathogen survival, and emerging technologies for sodium reduction while maintaining safety.
Key signal. Metagenomics overcomes VBNC detection limits, and biopreservation and CRISPR-Cas strains offer salt-independent barriers, but they act as complementary multi-barrier components rather than standalone solutions.
Why it matters here. Relates to Fangzhou's interest in microbial populations and communities, particularly in food fermentation ecology and microbial safety in complex matrices.