FUNDING

• European Research Council Starting Grant TANGO2 (2023-2028)
• Erik Philip-Sörensens research grant (2021/2022)
• Carl Tesdorpf Stiftelsen infrastructure grant (2021)
• Carl Tryggers Stiftelsen research grant (2021-2023)
• New Frontiers in Research Fund -Exploration grant; CoPI with Dr. Ryan Gawryluk (2021-2023)
• Crafoord Stiftelsen research grant (2021-2023)
• Vetendskapsrådet starting grant (2021-2025)
• Science for Life Pushing Frontiers Fellow (2018-2020)
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Post-doctoral fellow (2017-2018)
• European Molecular Biology Organization long-term fellow (2016-2018)
• NSERC CGS-M, CGS-D Scholar (2009-2014)
• Killam Trusts Level 1 and Level 2 Scholar (2009-2013)

PUBLICATION STATS

Peer-reviewed journal articles 38
First or senior author 13
Book chapters 2
Citations 2309
h-index 22

For an up-to-date publication list, please my Google Scholar and ORCID profiles.

PUBLICATIONS

-2023-

(38) Massive intein content in Anaeramoeba reveals aspects of intein mobility in eukaryotes
Lucie Gallot-Lavallee, Jon Jerlström-Hultqvist, Paula Zegarra-Vidarte, Dayana E Salas-Leiva, Courtney W Stairs, Ivan Cepicka, Andrew J. Roger, John M Archibald
Proceedings for the National Academy of Science: 10.1073/pnas.2306381120

(37) Comparative analysis of mitochondrion-related organelles in anaerobic amoebozoans
Kristína Záhonová, Zoltán Füssy, Courtney W. Stairs​, Michelle M. Leger, Jan Tachezy, Ivan Čepička6​, Andrew J. Roger, Vladimír Hampl
Microbial Genomics: doi.org/10.1099/mgen.0.001143 (open access) 

(36) Adaptation of the late ISC pathway in the anaerobic mitochondrial organelles of Giardia intestinalis
Alžběta Motyčková, Luboš Voleman, Vladimíra Najdrová, Lenka Arbonová, Martin Benda, Vít Dohnálek, Natalia Janowicz, Ronald Malych, Róbert Šuťák, Thijs JG Ettema, Staffan Svärd, Courtney W Stairs, Pavel Doležal
PLoS Pathogens: doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1010773

(35) Inference and reconstruction of the heimdallarchaeial ancestry of eukaryotes
Laura Eme, Daniel Tamarit, Eva F. Caceres, Courtney W. Stairs, Valerie De Anda, Max E. Schön, Kiley W. Seitz, Nina Dombrowski, William H. Lewis, Felix Homa, Jimmy H. Saw, Jonathan Lombard, Takuro Nunoura, Wen-Jun Li, Zheng-Shuang Hua, Lin-Xing Chen, Jillian F. Banfield, Emily St John, Anna-Louise Reysenbach, Matthew B. Stott, Andreas Schramm, Kasper U. Kjeldsen, Andreas P. Teske, Brett J. Baker & Thijs J. G. Ettema
Nature 618,–999 (2023)
doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06186-2

(34) A Mitosome With Distinct Metabolism in the Uncultured Protist Parasite Paramikrocytos canceri (Rhizaria, Ascetosporea)
Brännström IO⁺, Stairs CW⁺, Aguilera-Campos, KI, Ettema TJG, Keeling, PJ, Bass D and Burki F.  
Genome Biology and Evolution Accepted
+Contributed equally

-2022-

(33) Eukaryotic evolution: Spatial proteomics sheds light on mitochondrial reduction
Leger ML and Stairs CW*
Curr Biol 32 (23): R1308-R1311
DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.10.039

(32) Evolving perspective on the origin and diversification of cellular life and the virosphere
Spang A, Mahendrarajah TA, Offre P, Stairs CW*
Genome Biol Evol 14(6):evac034 Cover image
DOI: doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evac034

(31) Hydrogen metabolism: A eukaryote taps into the electron sink
Aguilera-Campos K and Stairs CW
Curr Biol 32 (1) : R49-51.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.11.012

-2021-

(30) Anaeramoebae are a divergent lineage of eukaryotes that shed light on the transition from anaerobic mitochondria to hydrogenosomes
Stairs CW, Táborský, P., Salomaki, E. D., Kolisko, M., Pánek, T., Eme, L., Hradilová, M., Vlček, Č., Jerlström-Hultqvist, J., Roger, A. J. & Čepička, I (2021)
Curr. Biol. 31 (24), 208-215.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.010

(29) Microbe-mediated mn oxidation—a proposed model of mineral formation
Sjöberg, S., Yu, C., Stairs CW, Allard, B., Hallberg, R., Henriksson, S., Åström, M. & Dupraz, C. (2021)
Minerals 11(10):1146
DOI: doi.org/10.3390/min11101146

(28) The integrin-mediated adhesive complex in the ancestor of animals, fungi, and amoebae
Kang S, Tice AK, Stairs CW, Lahr DJG, Jones RE, and Brown M. (2021)
Curr. Biol. 31(14):3073
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.076

(27) A functional bacterial-derived restriction modification system in the mitochondrion of a heterotrophic protist
Milner DS, Wideman JG, Stairs CW, Dunn CD, and Richards TA. (2021)
PLoS Biol 19(4): e3001126
DOI:10.1371/journal.pbio.3001126
Open-access: https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.300112
Associated content: Nat Rev Microbiol (2021). 10.1038/s41579-021-00570-3

(26) The Mastigamoeba balamuthi Genome and the Nature of the Free-Living Ancestor of Entamoeba
Žárský V, Klimeš V, Pačes J, Vlček C, Beneš J, Nývltová E, Hrdý I, Pyrih J, Mach J, Barlow L, Stairs CW, Eme L, Hall N, Eliáš M, Dacks J, Roger AJ and Tachezy J. (2021)
Molecular biology and evolution 38 (6), 2240-2259
DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab020
Open-access: https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article/38/6/2240/6126414?login=true

(25) Diversity of electron transport chains in anaerobic protists
Gawryluk R and Stairs CW*
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta- Bioenergetics
Open-access: doi.org/10.1016/j.bbabio.2020.148334

-2020-

(24) Chlamydial contribution to anaerobic metabolism during eukaryotic evolution
Stairs CW, Dharamshi JE, Tamarit D, Eme L, Jørgensen SL, Spang A and Ettema TJG. (2020)
Science Advances 6(35):eabb7258.
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb7258
Open-access: https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/35/eabb7258/tab-article-info
Media coverage: https://youtu.be/m2jVc_ACpaE

(23) Microbiomes in a manganese oxide producing ecosystem in the Ytterby mine, Sweden: impact on metal mobility.
Sjöberg S, Stairs CW, Allard B, Homa F, Martin T, Sjöberg V, Ettema TJG, Dupraz C. (2020)
FEMS Micro. Ecol. fiaa169 in press
DOI: doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiaa169
Open-access: https://academic.oup.com/femsec/article/96/11/fiaa169/5894917

(22) Bubble biofilm: bacterial colonization of air-air interface
Sjöberg S, Stairs CW, Allard B, Hallberg R, Homa F, Martin T, Ettema TJ, Dupraz C. (2020)
Biofilm, 100030.
DOI: 10.1016/j.bioflm.2020.100030
Open access: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590207520300125

(21) The evolution of the Puf superfamily of proteins across the tree of eukaryotes
Najdrova V, Stairs CW, Vinopalová M, Voleman L, and Pavel Dolezal. (2020)
BMC Biol 18:77
DOI: doi.org/10.1186/s12915-020-00814-3
Open access: https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12915-020-00814-3

(20) Marine sediments illuminate Chlamydiae diversity and evolution
Dharamshi JE, Tamarit D, Eme L, Stairs CW, Martijn J, Homa F, Jørgensen SL, Spang A and Ettema TJG. (2020)
Curr. Biol. 30(6):1032-1048.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.02.016
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982220301895 (PDF available upon request)
Associated content (Dispatch): doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.01.086
Select Media coverage: Sverigeradio Morgonpasset I P3: https://sverigesradio.se/avsnitt/1460791
CNN https://us.cnn.com/2020/03/10/health/chlamydia-new-species-arctic-ocean-trnd/index.html

(19) The archaeal roots of the eukaryotic dynamic actin cytoskeleton.
Stairs CW and Ettema TJG
Curr. Biol. 30(10):R521-6.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.02.074
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982220302815?via%3Dihub (PDF available upon request)

-2019-

(18) The Oxymonad Genome Displays Canonical Eukaryotic Complexity in the Absence of a Mitochondrion
Karnkowska A, Treitli SC, Brzoň O, Novák L, Vacek V, Soukal P, Barlow LD, Herman EK, Pipaliya SV, Pánek T, Žihala D, Petrželková R, Butenko A, Eme L, Stairs CW, Roger AJ, Eliáš M, Dacks JB, and Hampl V. (2019)
Mol Biol Evo. 36(19):2292-2312.
DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz147.

(17) Proposal of the reverse flow model for the origin of the eukaryotic cell based on comparative analyses of Asgard archaeal metabolism
Spang A, Stairs CW, Dombrowski N, Eme L, Lombard J, Caceres EF, Jørgensen SL, Baker BJ, and Ettema TJG. (2019)
Nat Microbiol 4:1138.
DOI: 10.1038/s41564-019-0406-9
Associated content (News & views): doi.org/10.1038/s41564-019-0495-5

(16) Oxygen induces the expression of invasion and stress response genes in the anaerobic salmon parasite Spironucleus salmonicida
Stairs CW*, Kokla A, Ástvaldsson Á, Svärd SG and Ettema TJG (2019).
BMC Biol 17:19
DOI: 10.1186/s12915-019-0634-8. 
*corresponding author

-2018-

(15) Complex evolutionary history of Elongation Factor 2 and diphthamide biosynthesis in Archaea and parabasalids
Narrowe AB, Spang A, Stairs CW, Caceres EF, Baker BJ, Miller CS and Ettema TJG. (2018)
Gen Biol Evol 10(9):2380.
DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy154

(14) Microbial eukaryotes have adapted to hypoxia by horizontal acquisitions of a gene involved in rhodoquinone biosynthesis
Stairs CW, Eme L, Munoz-Gomez S, Cohen AM, Shepperd JM, Dellaire G, Fawcett J, and Roger AJ. (2018)
eLife 2018;7:e34292
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.34292
Media coverage: https://phys.org/news/2018-05-wisdom-protists-electron-cancer.html

(13) Demystifying Eukaryote Lateral Gene Transfer
Leger MM, Eme L, Stairs CW and Roger AJ. (2018)
BioEssays. 40(5):e1700242.
DOI: 10.1002/bies.201700242

–2017–

(12) Archaea and the origin of eukaryotes
Eme L, Spang A, Lombard J, Stairs CW, and Ettema TJG. (2017)
Nat Rev Microbiol 15:711.
DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro.2017.133

(11) Extreme genome diversity in the hyper-prevalent parasitic eukaryote Blastocystis
Gentekaki E, Curtis B, Stairs CW, et al. (22 authors) and Roger AJ (2017)
PLoS Biol 15(9), e2003769.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2003769

(10) Organelles that illuminate the origins of Trichomonas hydrogenosomes and Giardia mitosomes
Leger MM, Kolisko M, Kamikawa R, Stairs CW, et al. (12 authors) and Roger AJ. (2017)
Nat Ecol Evol 1:0092.
DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0092

–2016–

(9) The earliest stages of mitochondrial adaptation to low oxygen revealed in a novel rhizarian
Gawryluk R, Kamikawa R, Stairs CW, Silberman JD, Brown MW, and Roger AJ. (2016)
Curr Biol 26(20); 2729.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.08.025

(8) Arginine deiminase pathway enzymes: evolutionary history in metamonads and other eukaryotes
Novák, L, Zubáčová Z, Karnkowska A, Kolisko M, Hroudová M, Stairs CW, Simpson AGB, Keeling PJ, Roger AJ, Čepička I, and Hampl V. (2016)
BMC Evol Biol 16(1);197
DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0771-4

(7) Environmental Breviatea harbour mutualistic Arcobacter epibionts
Hamann E, Gruber-Vodicka H, Kleiner M. Tegetmeyer H, Riedel D, Littmann S, Chen J, Milucka J, Viehweger B, Becker KW, Dong X, Stairs CW, Hinrichs K, Brown MW, Roger AJ, and Strous M. (2016)
Nature 534(7606):254.
DOI: 10.1038/nature18297

(6) A eukaryote without a mitochondrial organelle
Karnkowska A, Vacek V, Zubáčová Z, Treitli SC, Petrželková R, Eme L, Novák L, Žárský V, Barlow LD, Herman EK, Soukal P, Hroudová M, Doležal P, Stairs CW, Roger AJ, Eliáš M, Dacks JB, Vlček C, and Hampl V. (2016)
Curr Biol 26(10):1274–1284.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.03.053

2011-2015

(5) Diversity and origins of anaerobic metabolism in mitochondria and related organelles
Stairs CW, Leger MM, Roger AJ (2015)
Philos Trans R Soc B Biol Sci 370(1678).
DOI:10.1098/rstb.2014.0326.

(4) Lateral Gene Transfer And Gene Duplication Played A Key Role In The Evolution Of Mastigamoeba balamuthi Hydrogenosomes
Nývltová E, Stairs CW, Hrdý I, Pačes J, Roger AJ, and Tachezy J. (2015)
Mol Biol Evo 32(4):1039-1055.
DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msu408

(3) A SUF Fe-S cluster biogenesis system in the mitochondrion-related organelles of the anaerobic protist Pygsuia biforma.
Stairs CW, Eme L, Brown MW, Mutsaers C, Susko E, Dellaire G, Soanes D, van der Giezen M, and Roger AJ. (2014)
Curr Biol 24(11):1176-1186.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.04.033

(2) The tangled past of eukaryotic enzymes involved in anaerobic metabolism
Hampl V, Stairs CW, and Roger AJ. (2011)
Mob Gen Elements 1(1):71.
DOI: 10.4161/mge.1.1.15588

(1) Eukaryotic pyruvate formate lyase and its activating enzyme were acquired laterally from a firmicute
Stairs CW, Roger AJ, and Hampl V. (2011)
Mol Biol Evo 28(7):2087.
DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msr032