Diatom taxonomy and evolution
Diatoms are one of the most successful and diverse groups of algae on Earth, making them excellent model organisms for microbial Eukaryotes. Yet, despite their ubiquity, functional importance, and practical applications, we have only superficially explored global diatom diversity. Thus, one of the main missions of the DiCE lab is to describe and document this diversity using modern morphological and molecular approaches.
Community assembly and biogeography of microorganisms
Microbes make up the bulk of the world’s taxonomic and functional diversity, yet it remains poorly understood how individual species assemble into communities, and how these communities differ across space. Thus, the second main objective of the DiCE lab is to understand mechanisms of microbial community assembly. Here, we investigate why some species are found in some places while others are not, which factors promote more or less diversity, and quantify the respective importance of dispersal and selection in community formation.
Ecosystem function and biogeochemical cycling
Biofilms are the dominant lifeform in aquatic ecosystems, with representatives from all three domains of life encapsulated within a exopolysaccharide matrix. These bio-reactive surfaces take up and transform nutrients and organic matter, thereby determining the quality and characteristics of water downstream. With this in mind, the third main goal of DiCE is to investigate the biogeochemical role of biofilms, and associated feedbacks with their surroundings, to better understand their place in the ecosystems they reside in.
