Grace's work on Candidatus Aquarickettsia rohweri was featured in Hakai Magazine!
Using sophisticated computer programs and search algorithms to query the databases and map genetic associations, the researchers discovered that the newly named bacterium, Candidatus Aquarickettsia rohweri—as well as other closely related members of the newfound genus, Candidatus Aquarickettsia—are commonly found in the microbiomes of sponges, corals, and other aquatic organisms worldwide.
At low levels, Ca. A. rohweri seems to be harmless, but when it proliferates in a nutrient-rich environment—such as fertilizer-polluted water—corals suffer. The parasite steals energy from corals. Analysis shows that the bacterium carries a gene, Tlc1, which allows it to rob coral cells of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), their basic energy source.
Read the original article here: Klinges, J.G., Rosales, S.M., McMinds, R. et al. Phylogenetic, genomic, and biogeographic characterization of a novel and ubiquitous marine invertebrate-associated Rickettsiales parasite, Candidatus Aquarickettsia rohweri, gen. nov., sp. nov. ISME J 13, 2938–2953 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-019-0482-0