Microbial interactions driven by organic and inorganic metabolic exchange and their role in present and future biogeochemical cycles

Descripción del proyecto

Un «plano» de los circuitos metabólicos de las algas y las bacterias que subyacen al ciclo biogeoquímico del carbono

Las microalgas y las bacterias pueden ser pequeñas, pero se cuentan por miles de millones y desempeñan funciones fundamentales a gran escala, por ejemplo, en el ciclo del carbono, el secuestro de CO2 a nivel mundial y el cambio climático. El calentamiento global altera los océanos, lo que afecta a las interacciones entre las algas y las bacterias, así como a los procesos en los que participan. Múltiples cadenas metabólicas complejas y, a menudo, desconocidas subyacen a muchas de estas interacciones, incluido el ciclo biogeoquímico del carbono. En el proyecto BioGeoMicrobes, financiado por el Consejo Europeo de Investigación, se combinarán métodos de microbiología y ciencias de la Tierra para crear un «plano» de los circuitos metabólicos que determinan las interacciones entre las algas, las bacterias y el medio ambiente. Revelar los mecanismos de las interacciones microbianas en diferentes condiciones ambientales proporcionará conocimientos nuevos sobre cómo afectará el clima futuro a estas interacciones y los procesos que rigen.

Objetivo

Many biogeochemical processes, such as carbon cycling in marine ecosystems, are driven by interactions between micro-algae and bacteria. Global warming changes our oceans, impacts algal-bacterial interactions, and affects the processes these interactions propel. If we are to find ways to ameliorate the effects of global warming, we need to understand the molecular mechanisms that mediate these key algal-bacterial interactions, and integrate this knowledge into a biogeochemical context. A major challenge in studying these interactions often mediated by secreted metabolites is their complexity in nature. Therefore, we established ecologically relevant model systems with tunable complexities including algal-bacterial co-cultures, genetically tractable synthetic communities, and mini-cosms to study such interactions in context. These allow us to monitor and manipulate algae, bacteria, and their environment. We will combine microbiology and Earth sciences approaches to generate a blueprint of metabolic circuits that shape the algal-bacterial-environmental interaction landscape. Specifically, we will study:

1) The organic and inorganic secreted metabolome of algae and bacteria.
2) The physiological response of algae and bacteria to specific organic and inorganic metabolites, and the metabolic circuitry connecting algae, bacteria, and the marine environment.
3) The influence of climate change on algal-bacterial-environmental interactions, gaining insight into how key players in the ocean will likely respond to future climate.

Unveiling mechanisms of microbial interactions under various environmental conditions allows us to understand how future climate will impact these interactions and the processes they drive. Our interdisciplinary research offers a novel framework for studying the role of microbial interactions in biogeochemical cycling, it will contribute to improved climate change models, and will provide valuable data for ocean stewardship policy makers.