March 1, 2025

Current QCB fellow Lauren Augusta (Fuqua lab) is a co-author on a new preprint available on bioRxiv, titled “Linear dicentric chromosomes in bacterial natural isolates reveal common constraints for replicon fusion.” The paper specifically focuses on Agrobacterium tumefaciens and the phenomenon of chromosome fusion. The team identified two naturally occurring Agrobacterium isolates with fused chromosomes, providing valuable insights into the mechanisms and constraints that govern this process. Their work highlights the importance of balanced replication arm sizes and proper resolution systems for the survival of these unique strains. Congratulations Lauren on this work!