Research report 2008 - Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology
An ocean of symbioses, of unforeseen depth
Authors
Aspetsberger, Fanni; Dubilier, Nicole
Departments
Arbeitsgruppe Symbiose (Dr. Nicole Dubilier)
MPI für marine Mikrobiologie, Bremen
Summary
The Symbiosis Group studies associations between bacteria and marine invertebrates from chemosynthetic environments such as sulfide-rich coastal sediments, deep-sea hydrothermal vents, and cold seeps. Our research focuses on three main goals: revealing the biodiversity and biogeography of microbial symbioses, understanding the metabolic pathways the symbionts use to gain energy from the environment and feed their host, and deciphering the evolution of the symbioses and the adaptations that have led to the ecological success of these associations.