Celebrating transitions: Elena Quintanilla’s Marie Curie Fellowship and farewell to Alice Blanckaert!

News • February 2025

Text by Ulisse

We are thrilled to share some fantastic news—our postdoc, Dr. Elena Quintanilla, has been awarded a prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship to work on marine symbiosis research in the Marine Symbiomes Research Group at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn! This is a significant achievement that recognizes her outstanding research proposal, her curriculum and the importance of studying marine symbiosis in the face of climate change.

A step forward in marine symbiosis research

The MicroSymb project aims to uncover the intricate relationships between the endemic Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica and sponges through their microbiomes. Seagrass meadows are critical for marine ecosystem stability, but they are increasingly threatened by climate change. By studying the microbial interactions that may contribute to resilience under thermal stress, MicroSymb will provide crucial insights into nature-based solutions for marine conservation. The ultimate goal is to assess the capacity of this relationship to adapt and remain resilient in warming oceans.

A stellar evaluation for an ambitious project

The proposal received an outstanding evaluation score of 95.4%, highlighting its scientific excellence, methodological soundness, and strong impact potential. The reviewers particularly praised:

✅ The project’s ambitious yet realistic objectives, addressing a crucial ecological issue.
✅ The interdisciplinary nature of the work, bridging marine ecology, microbiology, and biogeochemistry.
✅ A robust methodological approach, integrating advanced techniques.
✅ The high-quality supervision, training plan, and two-way knowledge transfer between Elena and our research group.
✅ A well-structured dissemination strategy, ensuring that the scientific, societal, and conservation-related impacts reach a broad audience.

Scientist working in the Lab on DNA extractions

Elena working on DNA extractions in the Lab

Looking ahead

With this fellowship, Elena will not only advance the frontiers of host-microbiome interactions in marine ecosystems but also gain expertise that will propel her toward future leadership roles in marine conservation and academia. We can’t wait to embark on this journey with her and look forward to the groundbreaking discoveries that MicroSymb will bring!

Congratulations, Elena, on this well-deserved success! 🎉🌊

Farewell and best wishes to Alice Blanckaert!

While we celebrate new milestones, we also bid farewell to a valued colleague and friend. Our postdoc, Dr. Alice Blanckaert, will be leaving our group to re-join the Centre Scientifique de Monaco for a postdoctoral position focusing on Mediterranean gorgonians.

Alice has been an integral part of our research team, bringing enthusiasm, expertise, and dedication to our studies on marine ecosystems. Her contributions have been invaluable in advancing our understanding of symbiotic relationships in seagrass meadows. Although we will miss her, we are incredibly proud of her next step and confident that she will continue making impactful discoveries in marine conservation.

We wish Alice the best of luck in this exciting new chapter of her career. May your work on Mediterranean gorgonians be as rewarding and inspiring as your time with us! 🌿🐚🌊