“How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean.
ARTHUR C. CLARKE
A Bit About The Team
I have established the Marine Symbiomes Research Group at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn – National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology in 2017.
We are a hard working group of dynamic personalities doing fun science in a relaxed environment. We are persuaded that every person, regardless of age, career title or experience can contribute greatly to our common research goals. We further adhere to the notion that science has no borders, and thus we work to establish collaborations with investigators from institutions in Europe and elsewhere.
I am always looking for motivated students or postdocs to join the group. However, funding is limited. Please stay tuned here and on the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn website for any job posting. Potential candidates are encouraged to contact me prior to submitting their application. Also, I will be happy to work with you if you want to write and apply for your own grant.
Meet The People
Maira Maselli
Postdoctoral Fellow
I got interested in symbiotic interactions by studying mixotrophy in planktonic protists. My experience in research made me acquire a special mind-set: to have big plans but taking care of the little things.
Alice Blanckaert
Postdoctoral Fellow
My research journey began with the symbiosis between corals and dinoflagellates. Now, I eagerly embrace the opportunity to unravel yet another intriguing form of symbiotic relationship!
Germán Zapata Hernández
Postdoctoral fellow
My focus is on benthic marine food webs and potential impacts of wildfires. Experienced beekeeper involved in climate change impact projects on Chilean beekeeping. I enjoy spending free time with friends, music, and conversations over cold beers.
Elena Quintanilla
Postdoctoral Fellow
My research focuses on understanding the microbiome dynamics of forest-forming vulnerable organisms, such as corals and seagrasses, to assess their responses to environmental change. Outside of research, I enjoy diving, dancing, and creating handmade, nature-inspired jewelry.
Alumni
Luigi Gallucci
Master Student
Luigi worked with us during his MSc in Marine Biology and Ecology at the University of Naples Federico II. Lat time we checked he was doing a PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen, Germany.
Laura Dennis
Intern
Laura joined us for an internship in September-October 2020. She contributed to field and lab work in the frame of the group’s activities and projects. Last time we checked she was completing her studies within the IMBRSea Master Program.
Read about Nitrogen cycling on seagrass leaves and what may happen with the predicted acidification of our future oceans.
In a commentary wrote together with Sairah Malkin from the University of Maryland, we discuss a recent paper by Scholz et al. (2021) investigating the association between the rhizospheres of aquatic vegetation and cable bacteria.
We assessed the impact of zebra mussels on Nitrogen processes in laboratory incubations designed to discern the impact of the microbiome and to quantitatively assess their relevance at the benthic scale.
