Upcoming Events organized by CeMiSt

PhD Defence

Peter Bing Svendsen will defend his PhD thesis: Exploring the Ecological Implications of Tropodithietic Acid Production in Marine Microbial Synthetic Communities

At the Technical University of Denmark, Friday 23 January, at 13:00, Building 101, room S09

An Ocean of Microbial Molecules

Mini symposium at CeMiSt on January 26th 9-11.30 

Dr Katherine R. Duncan

Senior Lecturer, Microbial Metabolomics & Antibiotic Discovery, Newcastle University, Biosciences Institute (NUBI

Antibiotics from the abyss – combined ‘omics biodiscovery from the deep-sea

Abstract

The term "abyss" originates from the Greek word abyssos, meaning "bottomless," as ancient civilisations once thought the ocean was bottomless. We now define the abyssal zone as a depth of between 4,000 and 6,000 meters, characterised by perpetual darkness and ‘marine snow’. This vastly understudied ecosystem covers over 80% of the total area of the oceans and 60% of the Earth’s surface and is home to some of the most remarkable organisms, which we are only starting to understand. Last year, over 5,000 new species from a mineral rich area of the ocean floor called the Clarion-Clipperton Zone were described. It has long been known that bacteria can survive under these extreme conditions, with strains being isolated form hydrothermal vents and the deepest part of the ocean, the Mariana Trench. Here work will be presented where we target the isolation of spore-forming actinomycetes from the deep-sea and assess their natural product potential. We use combined ‘omics methods to link biology (genes) to chemistry (antibiotics) with the aim to understand the ‘chemical language’ or these remarkable microorganisms and what influences it.

Catherine Bannon
Postdoctoral fellow, Metabolische Interaktionen, Max-Planck-Institut für Marine Mikrobiologie

Vitamin Sea: New Insights into Cobalamin in the Ocean

Abstract

Vitamin B12, or cobalamin, has been recognized for decades as a microbially produced micronutrient with the potential to impact marine microbial community composition and activity in the ocean. But, how much do we truly understand about this essential metabolite? My research begins by addressing puzzling historical measurements of cobalamin in the sunlit ocean, providing quantitative evidence that

many previous estimates are unreliable. Instead, I present cobalamin form-specific photodegradation rates and novel photodegradation products that may influence microbial activity. Building on this, I will share  mass spectrometry-based measurements of B-vitamins and related metabolites collected over five years in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, demonstrating how such quantitative measurements can reveal real-time microbial community dynamics, including nutrient co-limitation and crucial community interactions. Finally, I will introduce my ongoing work on how marine animals acquire cobalamin, focusing on novel marine symbioses with low-complexity microbiomes to examine the functional impact of symbiotic B-vitamin production. This talk will synthesize recent advances in understanding cobalamin in the ocean and point toward exciting directions for future research.