SymbNET Online Seminar Series – Nils Raedecker (EPFL-UNIL) & Ricardo Henriques (FCG-IGC)

Dear all,

On 21^st April (Thursday), we will have the next session of the SymbNET Seminar Series:

Resource competition regulates the cnidarian-algal symbiosis
The evolutionary success of the cnidarian-algal symbiosis has given rise to the formation of coral reef ecosystems. Yet, climate change and other anthropogenic impacts are disrupting this symbiosis at increasing frequencies and scales. Understanding the collapse of this symbiosis will not be possible without considering its ecological foundation: the nutrient exchange between coral host and algal symbiont. Combining physiological, Omics, and NanoSIMS imaging approaches, our work focuses on metabolic regulation of symbiotic interactions in the onset, maintenance, and breakdown of the cnidarian-algal symbiosis. Our findings suggest that stable mutualistic nutrient exchange in the symbiosis can passively arise from competition for inorganic nutrients between the host and its symbionts. A breakdown of this resource competition during heat stress, in turn, destabilizes nutrient cycling and thus the symbiosis itself. Taken together, we conclude that the functioning of this symbiosis is a direct consequence of the coupling of heterotrophic and phototrophic metabolisms. While this passive regulation has underpinned the evolutionary success of coral holobionts for millions of years, it also renders these organisms highly vulnerable to the rapid environmental change of the Anthropocene.

Open technologies for Super-Resolution and Machine Learning in BioImaging
Super-resolution microscopy has become essential for the study of nanoscale biological processes. This type of imaging often requires specialised methods to collect and process a large volume of recorded data and extract quantitative information. In recent years, our team and collaborators have built an open-source ecosystem of computational, biochemical and optical approaches for live-cell super-resolution microscopy, designed to combine high performance and ease of use. This talk will present some of these approaches such as SRRF, SQUIRREL, VirusMapper, Super-Beacons, ZeroCostDL4Mic and vLume, showcasing their application in the study of biological processes such as viral infection.

These will be monthly online seminars on host-microbe symbiosis, genomics, and metabolomics, with two talks from SymbNET researchers.

Slots of 30 minutes to talk with the speakers will be available after the seminars. Priority will be given to students and Postdocs from SymbNET members Institutions. If you are interested, please contact Mariana Simões at symbnet@igc.gulbenkian.pt.

These seminars are open and free of charge. You can find more information at https://igc.events.idloom.com/symbnet_seminars.

If you already registered for SymbNET activities before, you will receive a link to this seminar closer to the date. If not, please register at https://igc.events.idloom.com/symbnet_seminars.

The SymbNET website is experiencing some problems, so we are not using the regular link
Zoom link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84265836452?pwd=dkUwZElUYXFlVmpneTcrUUN0a09wQT09
Time: Apr 21, 2022 03:00 PM Lisbon | Meeting ID: 842 6583 6452 | Passcode: 652530

We are looking forward to your participation.

SymbNET – Genomics and Metabolomics in a Host-Microbe Symbiosis Network

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 952537