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Research2025-01-30T13:57:39+01:00

Why Symbiomes?

We live in a symbiotic world where virtually all plants and animals are inhabited by communities of symbiotic microbes, forming entities known as metaorganisms. Historically, ecological research has emphasized interactions like predation and competition. However, metaorganisms often engage in integrated and synergistic cooperation with other (meta)organisms more frequently than previously thought. The resulting symbiome—a community of integrated metaorganisms—acquires characteristics inherent to its ecosystem, developing to climax under the environmental conditions of its habitat.

Host-microbe interactions have cascading effects on the physiology and ecology of the metaorganism. In turn, the symbiome influences the biogeochemistry and functioning of its ecosystem. By integrating across biological scales and maintaining an environmental context, our research aims to determine the capacity of metaorganisms to shape their ecosystems and to withstand and adapt to a changing marine environment.

Featured Publications

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Our Projects

Our research investigates the biogeochemical dynamics of host-microbe interactions in marine ecosystems, focusing on their responses to climate change. We aim to uncover how these interactions regulate critical metabolic pathways in metaorganisms and mediate carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycling, thereby shaping ecosystem function. To achieve this, we integrate multiple biological scales and maintain an environmental perspective, assessing the resilience and adaptive potential of symbiotic marine organisms amid environmental shifts.

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