Objective Interactions between marine microorganisms such as symbiosis, competition, and allelopathy determine the structure and function of microbial communities, yet are relatively unstudied. We must understand these interactions at multiple levels in order to predict how marine microbial communities will evolve in a changing world. Here, I propose to study interactions between Prochlorococcus, the most abundant photosynthetic organism in the oceans, and heterotrophic marine bacteria, utilizing a cross-scale approach combining physiology, chemical ecology, functional genomics and ecological modeling. We will: 1) Determine the general mechanism of interaction and the physiological response of two Prochlorococcus and five heterotrophic strains to liquid batch co-culture; 2) Elucidate genes and pathways responding to and mediating these interactions through comparative transcriptomic experiments; 3) Formulate, constrain and test mathematical models of these co-cultures, utilizing the physiological and genomic observations to explore the complexity needed to mathematically represent microbial interactions. The proposed interdisciplinary study will, for the first time, link multiple mechanisms of interaction between marine microorganisms to the genes and pathways involved. The experimentally-informed and tested mathematical models will provide a critical stepping stone towards explicitly representing microbial interactions in global biogeochemical models. Our results will be of special interest given the dominance of Prochlorococcus as a primary producer in the open ocean, and may shed light on the paradox of how microbial interactions can occur in such a diffuse environment. This interdisciplinary study will promote my integration into the EU research community and facilitate ongoing and future collaborations with EU and American scientists studying microbial communities and their dynamics in the changing oceans. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsnatural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriologymedical and health sciencesbasic medicinephysiologynatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiological behavioural sciencesethologybiological interactionsnatural sciencesmathematicsapplied mathematicsmathematical model Programme(s) FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) FP7-PEOPLE-2011-CIG - Marie-Curie Action: "Career Integration Grants" Call for proposal FP7-PEOPLE-2011-CIG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MC-CIG - Support for training and career development of researcher (CIG) Coordinator UNIVERSITY OF HAIFA Address Abba khushy blvd mount carmel 31905 Haifa Israel See on map Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Iris Levi (Mrs.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window EU contribution No data
