Research Outputs
The Palmer Lab is involved in diverse and varied projects associated with evolution and ecology, with a focus on extremophilic archaea and bacteria.
Photo credit: Tiana Steeves
Featured Projects
01
Filling in the knowledge gaps on microbial dark matter
Large parts of the research pursued in our lab focus on poorly understood microbial lineages. For this purpose, we use cultivation-dependent and -independent approaches for improving our understanding of these dynamic, yet understudied, microbial lineages.
02
Taxonomy of poorly classified lineages
As taxonomy forms the basis for understanding evolution, heavy focus is placed on the taxonomy of poorly classified microbial lineages in our work. To this end, genome-based taxonomic studies are routinely conducted in our lab, and both the nascent SeqCode and the ICNP are leveraged to name novel taxa and provide taxonomic stability to poorly classified lineages.
03
Uncovering microbial diversity in Manitoba's saline springs
The dominant microorganisms among hypersaline systems can differ drastically. Although anthropogenic hypersaline environments like solar salterns are globally dominated by prokaryotic members of mainly two classes [Halobacteria (Archaea) and Rhodothermia (Bacteria)] , less is known about the communities inhabiting natural hypersaline springs. With several natural saline springs close at hand, this work aims to uncover the biodiversity captured in these underexplored environments.
Publications
Bezuidt, O.K., Castillo, D., Du Plessis, T., Palmer, M., Hugenholtz, P., Makhalanyane, T. Endemic dark ocean microbiomes drive carbon cycling in the Southern Ocean. Preprint, ResearchSquare. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7078079/v1
Lai, D., Mosier, D., Palmer, M., Mayali, X., Johnston, J., Saldivar, W., Covington, J.K., Jiao, J.-Y., Murali, R., Seymour, C.O., Liu, L., Hua, Z.-S., Li, W.-J., Weber, P.K., Pett-Ridge, J., Colman, D.R., Boyd, E.S., Nunoura, T.K., Dodsworth, J.A., Hedlund, B.P. Branched-chain amino acid specialization drove diversification within Calditenuaceae (Caldarchaeia) and enables their cultivation. Preprint, Research Square. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6038074/v1
Yang-Zhi Rao, Yu-Xian Li, Ze-Wei Li, Yan-Ni Qu, Brian P Hedlund, Tom A Williams, Yan-Ling Qi, Qi-Jun Xie, Hai-Long Yang, Yuan-Qi Zhang, Hong-Chen Jiang, Marike Palmer, Mang Shi, Wen-Sheng Shu, Zheng-Shuang Hua, Wen-Jun Li. (2025) Horizontal gene transfer and gene loss drove the divergent evolution of host dependency in Micrarchaeota. National Science Review, nwaf542. https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwaf542
Torosian, N., Covington, J.K., Cook, A.M., Nou, N.O., Palmer, M., Mewalal, R., Harmon-Smith, M., Blaby, I.K., Cheng, J.-F., Hess, M., Hedlund, B.P. (2025) Characterization of the thermophilic xylanase Fsa02490Xyn from the hyperthermophile Fervidibacter sacchari belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 10. FEBS OpenBio. https://doi.org/10.1002/2211-5463.70072
Mavima, L., Steenkamp, E.T., Beukes, C.W., Palmer, M., De Meyer, S.E., James, E.K., Venter, S.N., Coetzee, M.P.A. (2025) Estimated timeline for the evolution of symbiotic nitrogen fixing Paraburkholderia. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 213:108447.
Palmer, M., Nou, N.O., Turello, L.A., Power, C.E., Ong, J.C., Covington, J.K., Lai, D., Mayali, X., Reysenbach, A.L., Qi, Y.-L., Dodsworth, J.A., Jiao, J.-Y., Liu, L., Lian, Z.-H., Li, M.-M., Liu, Y., Murali, R., Briggs, B.R., Zuo, H., Quake, S.R., Eloe-Fadrosh, E.A., Woyke, T., Weber, P.K., Dong, H., Li, W.-J., Hua, Z.-S., Hedlund, B.P. (2025) Nitrogen fixation in Pampinifervens, a new species-rich genus of Aquificaceae that inhabits a wide pH range in terrestrial hot springs. Systematic and Applied Microbiology 48(5):126644. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.syapm.2025.126644
Gtari, M., Tisa, L.S., Palmer, M., Armengaud, J. (2025) Exploring the diversity, ecological significance, and systematics of uncultivated prokaryotic taxa. Frontiers in Microbiology 16:1604849. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1604849
Chuvochina, M., Palmer M., Venter, S.N. (2025) Expanding ISME Communications to taxonomy and nomenclature. ISME Communications, 5(1): ycaf106. https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycaf106
Nou N.O., Covington J.K., Lai D., Mayali X., Seymour C.O., Johnston J., Jiao J.-Y., Buessecker S., Mosier D., Muok A.R., Torosian N., Cook A.M., Briegel A., Woyke T., Eloe-Fadrosh E.A., Shapiro N., Bryan S.G., Sleezer S., Dimapilis J., Gonzalez C., Gonzalez L., Noriega M., Hess M., Carlson R.P., Liu L., Li M.-M., Lian Z.-H., Zhu S., Liu F., Sun X., Gao B., Mewalal R., Harmon-Smith M., Blaby I.K., Cheng J.-F., Weber P.K., Grigorean G., Li W.-J., Dekas A.E., Pett-Ridge J., Dodsworth J.A., Palmer M., Hedlund B.P. (2024) Genome-guided isolation of the hyperthermophilic aerobe Fervidibacter sacchari reveals conserved polysaccharide metabolism in the Armatimonadota. Nature Communications 15:9534. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53784-3
Venter, S. N., Rodriguez-R, L. M., Chuvochina, M., Palmer, M., Hugenholtz, P., & Steenkamp, E. T. (2024). Options and considerations for validation of prokaryotic names under the SeqCode. Systematic and Applied Microbiology, 47(6), 126554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.syapm.2024.126554
Covington J.K., Torosian N., Cook A.M., Palmer M., Bryan S.G., Nou N.O., Mewalal R., Harmon-Smith M., Blaby I.K., Cheng J.-F., Hess M., Brumm P.J., Singh N.K., Venkateswaran K.,Hedlund B.P. (2024) Biochemical characterization of Fsa16295Glu from “Fervidibacter sacchari,” the first hyperthermophilic GH50 with β-1,3-endoglucanase activity and founding member of the subfamily GH50_3. Frontiers in Microbiology, 15:1355444. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1355444
van Lill M., Venter S.N., Muema E.K., Palmer M., Chan W.Y., Beukes C.W., Steenkamp E.T. (2024) SeqCode facilitates naming of South African rhizobia left in limbo. Systematic and Applied Microbiology, 126504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.syapm.2024.126504
Whitman W.B., Chuvochina M., Hedlund B.P., Konstantinidis K.T., Palmer M., Rodriguez-R L.M., Sutcliffe I.C., Wang F. (2024) Why and how to use the SeqCode. mLife, 3:1–13.​ https://doi.org/10.1002/mlf2.12092
Crosby K.C., Rojas M., Sharma P., Johnson M.A., Mazloom R., Kvitko B.H., Smits T.H.M., Venter S.N., Coutinho T.A., Heath L.S., Palmer M., Vinatzer B.A. (2023) Genomic delineation and description of species and within-species lineages in the genus Pantoea. Frontiers in Microbiology, 14:1254999. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1254999
For all works by Marike Palmer see her ORCID or Google Scholar profile!
Funding sources
