Seminar: Shunt or shuttle? Dynamic biogeochemical consequences of diatom host-virus interactions
Date: Friday, February 28
Time: 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Seminar: Shunt or shuttle? Dynamic biogeochemical consequences of diatom host-virus interactions
Speaker: Kim Thamatrakoln, Rutgers-New Brunswick Marine and Coastal Sciences, Associate Professor
About Seminar
Diatoms are unicellular, eukaryotic phytoplankton responsible for ~40% of marine primary productive. With a ballasted, silica-based cell wall, diatoms make a significant contribution to the biological pump and the sequestration of atmospheric carbon into the deep sea. Through host lysis, viruses in the ocean has long been considered ‘shunts’ – diverting particulate organic matter away from higher trophic levels and back it into the microbial loop. However, recent work has demonstrated that viruses may also act as ‘shuttles’ – facilitating carbon export through processes that stimulate sinking.
In this talk I will present work, based on both model laboratory systems and field-based observations, that demonstrates nutrient availability may play a significant role in determining whether viruses function as shunts or shuttles. I will also discuss ongoing work exploring the impact of virus-mediated host lysis on microbial secondary production that highlights an additional dynamic role of viruses in the fate of organic matter in the ocean.
Speaker Bio
I am broadly interested in understanding the role eukaryotic phytoplankton play in driving Earth’s biogeochemical cycles. Despite representing <1% of the Earth’s biomass, this microscopic slice of the planet contributes nearly 50% of global primary productivity and plays a role in nearly every major biogeochemical cycle including carbon, nitrogen, and silicon. My research combines cell biology, physiology, molecular biology, genomics, transcriptomics, and biophysics to answer fundamental questions about the functional ecology of this globally important group of organisms. We combine laboratory studies using model organisms with oceanographic expeditions and natural communities to better understand how these organisms respond to abiotic and biotic changes in their environment, such as nutrient limitation or viral infection.