Oct. 29, 2020
Congratulations to Dr. Carly Moreno who successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis titled ‘Coupled molecular physiology and ecology of Southern Ocean diatoms in response to shifting iron and light availability’. Carly’s research investigated how polar diatoms acclimate and adapt to varying iron concentrations and light levels, providing new insights into how phytoplankton communities may shift in rapidly changing polar environments. The punchline is that not all diatoms are created equal!
September 19, 2020
Our new publication led by former Ph.D. student Weida Gong was recently published in Environmental Microbiology. In this study why compare and contrast multiple approaches for taxonomic identification of eukaryotic phytoplankton in the Neuse River Estuary and examine the environmental factors that influence phytoplankton composition. Our findings provide additional support and validation for the integration of environmental genomics into coastal water quality monitoring programs.
Phytoplankton composition in a eutrophic estuary: Comparison of multiple taxonomic approaches and influence of environmental factors
August 15, 2019
Congratulations to Dr. Weida Gong who successfully defended his thesis titled ‘Characterization of the taxonomic composition and physiological status of natural eukaryotic phytoplankton communities’. Weida implemented cutting-edge molecular approaches to interrogate plankton in their natural environment. He is now ready for a job with the FBI!
August 22, 2019
Our new publication led by former Masters student Rob Lampe (now at UCSD) was recently published in ISME Journal. In this study we investigated the response to deep water amendments by natural phytoplankton communities in the Sargasso Sea. Using a combination of physiological measurements and metatranscriptomics, we found that diatoms, which are the primary responders following nutrient enrichment, elicit a distinct molecular response that underlies their rapid increase in growth compared to the other dominant phytoplankton groups in the nitrate-depleted ambient surface waters.
Strategies among phytoplankton in response to alleviation of nutrient stress in a subtropical gyre
Also check out the behind-the paper blog post Rob wrote about the study here.
December 15, 2018
Our new publication led by former Masters student Rob Lampe (now at UCSD) was recently published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In this study we show that there are multiple ways in which diatoms can store iron and that ferritin-containing diatoms such as Pseudo-nitzschia may have a competitive advantage when iron is delivered in pulsed supplies. Our findings suggest that in areas of the ocean where iron concentrations may decline due to climate change, diatom composition could shift to ferritin-containing diatoms.
Different iron storage strategies among bloom-forming diatoms
A brief write-up about our study can be found here.
February 19, 2018
Our new publication led by graduate student Weida Gong was just published in Environmental Microbiology. In this study we examine the spatiotemporal dynamics of phytoplankton using gene expression analysis within the Neuse River Estuary. We provide compelling evidence for the utilization of such ‘omic techniques as useful tools in water quality monitoring programs.
Eukaryotic phytoplankton community spatiotemporal dynamics as identified through gene expression within a eutrophic estuary
May 10, 2017
Our new publication was published online in Journal of Phycology Early View. In this study we have developed a molecular indicator to determine the iron status of Pseudo-nitzschia within natural diatom assemblages using gene expression. As part of this study, we have created an online tool to calculate the Pseudo-nitzschia Iron Limitation Index (ILI) from metatranscriptomic sequence data sets.
Development of a molecular-based index for assessing iron status in bloom-forming pennate diatoms
The Pseudo-nitzschia ILI Calculator is available here.
April 21, 2017
Our new publication by Natalie Cohen and coauthors was published online in Limnology and Oceanography. In this study we have examined co-limitation of iron and vitamins within diatom isolates and natural diatom assemblages from the Northeast Pacific Ocean. It appears that diatoms need their vitamins too!
March 28, 2017
Congratulations to Weida Gong who defended his M. Sc. thesis titled ‘Eukaryotic Phytoplankton Community Spatiotemporal Dynamics as Identified through Gene Expression within a Eutrophied Estuary’. Way to go Weida!
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