Marine microbiology
Research Leader: Professor David Scanlan
A major research theme in the group is to use molecular biological techniques to assess the genotype and nutrient status of marine photosynthetic microbes so that the specific factors controlling marine photosynthesis in single cells can be identified. In addition, we are using molecular genetic tools and molecular ecological approaches to investigate the way these organisms perceive and adapt to changes in their environment, and particularly how certain strains have adapted to occupy a specific niche. Thus, we are using fine-scale genetic markers and high throughput sequencing to assess the community structure of photosynthetic microbes over large spatial scales, and coupling this with meta-‘omic approaches to decipher the functional potential and in situ activity of these organisms. We focus on both the role of abiotic (light, nutrients) and biotic (virus infection, protistan grazing) factors in controlling the abundance of these organisms. Moreover, functional identification of genes implicated as playing a specific role in the adaptation of marine (and freshwater) cyanobacteria to their environment is being pursued by mutant construction and analysis. This latter work is being greatly aided by the recent completion of various Prochlorococcus and marine Synechococcus genomes see http://cyanorak.sb-roscoff.fr/. This is paving the way for detailed comparative genomic (transcriptomic and proteomic) analyses in these organisms and the viruses that infect them.
Work focuses on the following key groups of picophotoautotrophs, organisms which are widespread and abundant in marine ecosystems, and contribute significantly to global primary production. Hence, these are environmentally relevant organisms and all contain cultured counterparts. The cyanobacterial component are also capable of growth at a wide range of irradiance and in waters with low or undetectable levels of inorganic nutrients:
- Prochlorococcus
- Synechococcus
- Picoeukaryotes
Other recent research avenues in the Scanlan lab include projects on i) marine heterotrophic bacterioplankton, particularly focusing on lipid remodelling, degradation of N osmolytes, and phototroph-heterotroph interactions and ii) P acquisition mechanisms in the plant-rhizosphere.
Current Group Members
Dr Branko Rihtman (Postdoctoral Research Assistant), Dr Michaela Mausz (Postdoctoral Research Assistant), Dr Alevtina Mikhaylina (Postdoctoral Research Assistant), Dr Jack Dickenson (Postdoctoral Research Assistant), Dr Andrew Murphy (Postdoctoral Research ssistant), Dr Pedro Cabello-Yeves (Postdoctoral research Assistant), Gerald Misol Jr. (Final Year PhD student), Liv Davies (Final Year PhD student), Mingyu Li (3rd Year PhD student) Shengwei Liu (2nd Year PhD student) and Julie Scanlan (Research Technician).
People and projects
Dr Branko Rihtman, Postdoctoral Researcher
Branko's research focuses on viruses of abundant marine cyanobacteria as part of the ERC funded Virfix project.
Dr Michaela Mausz, Postdoctoral Researcher
Michaela is investigating consequences of lipid remodellling in marine cyanobacteria on a NERC funded project with Prof Yin Chen.
Dr Eleonora Silvano, Postdoctoral Researcher
Eleonora's project seeks to determine the role of nutrient input on freshwater lake greenhouse gas emissions and carbon dynamics funded by NERC with PI Prof Yin Chen.
Dr Jack Dickenson, Postdoctoral Researcher
Jack's work involves understanding how cyanophages manipulate photosynthesis during infection as part of the ERC-funded Virfix project. In particular, Jack is interested in how phage redirect photosynthetic electron transport during infection and the associated auxiliary metabolic genes.
Dr Alevtina Mikhaylina, Postdoctoral Researcher
Alevtina's work seeks to understand how cyanophage switch off carbon dioxide fixation during the infection process as part of a Leverhulme Trust funded project.
Dr Andrew Murphy, Postdoctoral Researcher
Andrew is investigating the relationship between phage virulence and host growth rates in model photosynthetic and heterotrophic bacteria funded by the ERC Virfix project.
Dr Pedro Cabello Yeves, Postdoctoral Researcher
Pedro is seeking to understand how ∝-cyanobacteria with form 1A RuBisCO and ∝-carboxysomes globally dominate aquatic habitats.
Gerald Misol Jr., Final Year PhD Student
Gerald is funded by the ERC Vrifix project and is investigating how environmental factors control auxiliary metabolic gene (AMG) carriage in marine cyanophage, as well as developing cyanophage genetics and seeking to understand cyanophage resistance mechanisms of the Synechococcus host.
Liv Davies, Final Year PhD Student
Liv is interested in elucidating mechanisms of buoyancy in marine picocyanobacteria and is funded by a NERC CENTA PhD studentship.
Mingyu Li, 3rd Year PhD Student
Mingyu is interested in deciphering how membrane lipids are modified by phage as well as understanding how bacteria utilise lipid backbone components for growth.
Shengwei Liu, 2nd Year PhD Student
Shengwei is interested in understanding how bacterial lipids are degraded in the environment.
Julie Scanlan, Research Technician
Julie is the curator of the cyanobacterial culture collection at Warwick and is currently constructing cyanobacterial mutants to elucidate the effects of lipid remodelling on cell physiology.
Research Facilities
Excellent cyanobacterial and eukaryotic phytoplankton culturing facilities including walk-in temperature controlled growth rooms, supported by department-run media preparation service.
In House MiSeq sequencing and real-time qPCR facilities, high-speed BD Influx flow cytometric sorting capacity, LC-MS facility for metabolite detection, state-of-the-art proteomics facility, and within lab access to molecular biology, biochemistry, analytical flow cytometry and photophysiological (PhytoPAM, light array) facilities.
Equipment Booking
Booking link for the following equipment : amaZon, microscopes, Cytoflex, Akta, Plate readers and windows computer.
Collaborators
Dr Gary Bending (University of Warwick, SLS) Phosphorus acquisition in the soil plant-rhizosphere
Dr Claudia Blindauer (University of Warwick, Chemistry) Marine cyanobacterial metalloproteomics
Professor Yin Chen (University of Birmingham) Ecophysiology of how microbes adapt to nutrient stress and climate change.
Professor Martha Clokie (University of Leicester, UK) Marine cyanophage
Dr Christophe Corre (University of Warwick, SLS/Chemistry) Structure and function of cyanobacterial metabolites
Dr Laurence Garczarek (Station Biologique, Roscoff, France) Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus molecular ecology and genomics
Dr Mikal Heldal (University of Bergen, Norway) Elemental composition of marine picocyanobacteria
Prof Wolfgang Hess (University of Freiburg, Germany) Marine picocyanobacteria genomics and small RNAs
Professor Wei Huang (University of Oxford) Raman spectroscopy
Dr Martin Ostrowski (Macquarie University, Sydney) Synechococcus metagenomics/biodiversity
Dr Frederic Partensky (Station Biologique, Roscoff, France) Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus molecular ecology and genomics
Prof Anton Post (Florida Atlantic University, USA) Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus molecular ecology and genomics
Dr Christophe Six (Station Biologique, Roscoff, France) Marine cyanobacterial lipids
Prof Paul Taylor University of Leeds - The Evolutionary Origins of Chemical Messengers in Humans
Dr Osvaldo Ulloa (Universidad de Concepción, Chile) Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus community structure in oxygen minimum zones
Dr Daniel Vaulot (Station Biologique, Roscoff, France) Picoeukaryote biodiversity and genomics
Prof Liz Wellington (University of Warwick, SLS) Metaproteomics of phosphorus acquisition in the soil plant-rhizosphere
Dr Mike Zubkov (Scottish Association for Marine Sciences, Oban, Scotland) Flow sorting of photosynthetic microbes/Mixotrophy/Grazing/P acquisition.
Prospective Students and postdoctoral researchers
Students interested in pursuing graduate research with Prof. Scanlan are encouraged to contact him directly by email (d.j.scanlan@warwick.ac.uk). For more information about graduate programs at the University of Warwick see https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/lifesci/study/pgr/research/phd
Prospective postdoctoral researchers with interests in the field of marine microbiology, particularly photosynthetic microorganisms are encouraged to contact Prof. Scanlan directly by email (address above) to discuss potential research projects and funding opportunities.