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Ben Peterson

@bigmicrobeben.bsky.social

Assistant Professor - School of Freshwater Science at UW-Milwaukee. Contaminant and microbial biogeochemistry. Great Lakes. petersonlab(dot)org

Posts Replies Media

Ben Peterson @bigmicrobeben.bsky.social · 30/03/2025

Check it out, and let me know what you think! This represented a major effort from a large team, and I'm proud to see this work out in the world.

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Ben Peterson @bigmicrobeben.bsky.social · 30/03/2025

Overall transcriptional activity was also higher in SRB. However, we also identified an arsR-like transcriptional regulator preceding hgcA (previously reported, see text for ref.); these elements were associated with lower hgcA expression and found more frequently in the non-SRB methylators.

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Ben Peterson @bigmicrobeben.bsky.social · 30/03/2025

Inhibition of sulfate-reducing bacteria using molybdate resulted in a drastic decrease in MeHg production across all redox conditions. Surprisingly, sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) only accounted for <10% of the hgcA gene abundance, but represented the majority (>50%) of the hgcA gene transcription.

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Ben Peterson @bigmicrobeben.bsky.social · 30/03/2025

We designed a method for conducting enriched stable isotope Hg transformations assays under in situ conditions using custom-designed trace-metal clean bags resuspended in the lake for the duration of the incubation. This was a labor of love... the first trial assays were conducted in 2017!

Conceptual diagram of enriched stable isotope incubation assays and supporting data.

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Ben Peterson @bigmicrobeben.bsky.social · 30/03/2025

Lake Mendota is a well-studied and eutrophic lake with an anoxic hypolimnion for most of the stratified year. Methylmercury concentrations can reach up to 80% (!!!) of total mercury in the hypolimnion, and sulfate reduction appears to be a key pathway driving microbial metabolism.

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Ben Peterson @bigmicrobeben.bsky.social · 31/08/2024

First shipment of supplies into the new lab! Can't wait to put these new toys to use.

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Ben Peterson @bigmicrobeben.bsky.social · 20/08/2024

I'm excited to share that today was my first day as an Assistant Professor in the School of Freshwater Sciences at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee! I am very excited to join the great faculty at this one-of-a-kind program, especially in my home state and a city I love.

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