Eco-Evolutionary Characterization of Parasitoids of Arctic Microalgae.

• Applicant: Dr. Kenneth Dumack
• Subject Area: Ecology and Biodiversity of Plants and Ecosystems
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 555596351

The Cryomonadida are parasite-like consumers of algae. These parasitoids are dominant in the Arctic ocean and show their highest abundance in association with melting sea ice, where they may reach up to 85% of the biomass of heterotrophic microeukaryotes, indicating their dominance of the system and their potential to shape the ice-algal community. Despite this knowledge, almost none of the existing species are described. Of the few described species, there are ecological observations of five species of which only two have been barcoded. This stepping-stone project is meant to give a comprehensive overview of this exciting taxon. For this, we will (I) unravel parasitoid-host relationships via meta-transcriptomics & networks, which we will validate by FISH staining to confirm and enumerate infection rates; (II) delimit cryptic species and chart their evolutionary relationship; and (III) investigate the mechanisms that evolved in the Cryomonadida to access their host’s cell contents. Considering that Arctic sea ice is most vulnerable to climate change, a comprehensive overview of cryomonadidan diversity will form the basis for future proposals investigating specific changes induced by climate change.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants