DR. KARIN HOLMFELDT, Associate Professor

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, LINNAEUS UNIVERSITY

My research focus on the diversity, functionality, and ecological importance of viruses that infects microorganisms in different aquatic environments. Viruses are the most abundant biological entities on earth and through host specific infection and lysis they modulate food-web dynamics. In addition, viruses can change the hosts’ functionality through expression of viral metabolic genes and regulation of host gene expression. Through experimentation and the use of different ‘omics tools I am unravelling the unknown diversity and functionality of viruses through investigation of both cultured model systems and viral communities.  

Key words

Viral ecology, Aquatic environments, ‘omics, Viral-host interactions

Themes: 1, 2, 3

Dr. Janina Rahlff, Postdoc, Linnaeus University

My research is focused on viral-bacterial interactions in the sea-surface microlayer, the upper 1 mm layer at the ocean’s surface. Under certain conditions, viruses can become enriched in this thin habitat at the air-sea interface, but the role of microlayer viruses (‘the virioneuston’) for the microbial loop and carbon cycling at the sea surface is largely unknown. To characterize virus-host interactions under enrichment conditions, I will isolate novel bacteriophages from the surface microlayer of the Baltic Sea and use a combinatory approach of cultivation experiments, microscopic and metagenomic analyses to study the virioneuston.

Key words: Viral ecology, metagenomics, virus-host interactions, Baltic Sea, neuston

Matthias Hötzinger, Researcher, Linnaeus University

My research focuses on the bioinformatic analysis of viral metagenomes from the Baltic Sea and mesocosm experiments. Here I will attempt to link dynamics of bacteriophages to specific hosts and study the influence of different carbon sources on viral communities. I have previously worked on bacterial genomics in combination with lab culture experiments, thereby gaining bioinformatic and microbiological expertise that will be important for investigating viral evolution. My research goal is to clarify how bacteriophages shape microbial diversity in aquatic ecosystems.

Keywords: Bacteriophages, Baltic Sea, (Meta)genomics, Phage-host dynamics

Emelie Nilsson, Phd Student, Linnaeus University

My research interest is the ecology of the Baltic Sea, especially how phages (viruses infecting bacteria) effect biogeochemical cycles when they infect and lyse bacterial hosts. I have isolated previously unknown phages and by describing these I have identified a phage-host system where we can investigate the changes to the host during the infection. Besides studying systems in the lab, we are also looking into long-term temporal variations of different groups of phages and particular genes. This will increase the resolution of our understanding of nutrient and energy cycling.

Keywords: Bacteriophage, Aquatic ecology, Genomics, Metagenomics, Transcriptomics