Soil microbial diversity affects ecosystem functioning and global biogeochemical cycles. Soil bacterial communities catalyse a diversity of biogeochemical reactions and have thus sparked considerable scientific interest. One driver of bacterial community dynamics in natural ecosystems has so far been largely neglected: the predator–prey interactions between bacterial viruses (bacteriophages) and bacteria. To generate ground le...

We performed an experiment under long-term microgravity conditions aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to obtain information on the energetics and experimental constraints required for the formation of chondrules in the solar nebula by ’nebular lightning’. As a simplified model system, we exposed porous forsterite (Mg $$_2$$ 2 SiO $$_4$$ 4 ) dust particles to high-energetic arc discharges. The characterization of the...

Summary Viruses can play critical roles in symbioses by initiating horizontal gene transfer, affecting host phenotypes, or expanding their host's ecological niche. However, knowledge of viral diversity and distribution in symbiotic organisms remains elusive. Here we use deep‐sequenced metagenomic DNA (PacBio Sequel II; two individuals), paired with a population genomics approach (Pool‐seq; 11 populations, 550 individuals) to u...

Serpentine soils harbour a unique flora that is rich in endemics. We examined the evolution of serpentine endemism in Minuartia laricifolia , which has two ecologically distinct subspecies with disjunct distributions: subsp. laricifolia on siliceous rocks in the western Alps and eastern Pyrenees and subsp. ophiolitica on serpentine in the northern Apennines. We analysed AFLP s and chloroplast sequences from 30 populations to e...