Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40102641›Full record

ArticleNature biotechnology2026

Information storage across a microbial community using universal RNA barcoding.

Prashant B Kalvapalle, August Staubus, Matthew J Dysart, Lauren Gambill, Kiara Reyes Gamas, Li Chieh Lu, Jonathan J Silberg, Lauren B Stadler, James Chappell

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature biotechnology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
17citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

17 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Prashant B Kalvapalle *Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology Graduate Program, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8255-3623
August Staubus *Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
Matthew J Dysart *Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology Graduate Program, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4267-3257
Lauren Gambill *Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology Graduate Program, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1490-2449
Kiara Reyes GamasSystems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology Graduate Program, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2226-6403
Li Chieh LuDepartment of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
Jonathan J SilbergDepartment of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA. joff@rice.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5612-0667
Lauren B StadlerDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA. lauren.stadler@rice.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7469-1981
James ChappellDepartment of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA. jc125@rice.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7367-1524

Funding

National Science Foundation (NSF) 1805901National Science Foundation (NSF) 1828869National Science Foundation (NSF) 2227526National Science Foundation (NSF) 2237052National Science Foundation (NSF) 2237512Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation A23-0202-004United States Department of Agriculture | National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) 2021-33522-35356United States Department of Defense | United States Army | U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command | Army Research Office (ARO) W911NF-24-2-0073U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) FWP 78814
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Gene transfer can be studied using genetically encoded reporters or metagenomic sequencing but these methods are limited by sensitivity when used to monitor the mobile DNA host range in microbial communities. To record information about gene transfer across a wastewater microbiome, a synthetic catalytic RNA was used to barcode a highly conserved segment of ribosomal RNA (rRNA). By writing information into rRNA using a ribozyme and reading out native and modified rRNA using amplicon sequencing, we find that microbial community members from 20 taxonomic orders participate in plasmid conjugation with an Escherichia coli donor strain and observe differences in 16S rRNA barcode signal across amplicon sequence variants. Multiplexed rRNA barcoding using plasmids with pBBR1 or ColE1 origins of replication reveals differences in host range. This autonomous RNA-addressable modification provides information about gene transfer without requiring translation and will enable microbiome engineering across diverse ecological settings and studies of environmental controls on gene transfer and cellular uptake of extracellular materials.

Indexed as

DNA Barcoding, TaxonomicInformation Storage and RetrievalMicrobiotaRNA, Ribosomal, 16SEscherichia coliPlasmidsRNA, BacterialRNA, CatalyticWastewaterRNA, BacterialRNA, CatalyticRNA, Ribosomal, 16SWastewater

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.