Main Goals
We are interested in understanding fundamental metabolic differences between major phytoplankton functional groups in the ocean. Our focus is mainly on diatoms and their adaptations to coastal and open ocean environments. Using a combination of molecular tools and physiological manipulations, we are investigating the responses of genes involved in photorespiration, the urea cycle, iron storage, chitin synthesis and oxylipin production to changing environmental conditions. We generate and test hypotheses on the cycling of major and minor elements in diatom cells and extend our findings to a global biogeochemistry context.
Specific topics of interest include:
- Photorespiration as an energy-dissipation pathway and its role in carbon and nitrogen cycling in marine diatoms (led by Micaela S. Parker)
- The role of the urea cycle in nitrogen-uptake, cellular metabolism, and photosynthesis in diatoms (led by Sara Bender)
- The ecological and functional significance of chitin synthesis in marine diatoms (led by Colleen Durkin)
- The use and regulation of ferritin for iron sequestration in marine pennate diatoms (led by Adrian Marchetti and Micaela Parker)
- The involvement of oxylipin metabolism in response to stress in diatoms (led by Francois Ribalet)
Additional people involved in these projects include
Ellen Lin (molecular biology),
Rhonda Marohl (molecular biology and flow cytometry), and Audrey Djunaedi (undergraduate).