Marine bacterioplankton are indispensable regulators of global elemental cycles due to their ability to decompose and remineralize dissolved organic matter. These microbes show seasonal succession patterns, ruled by environmental factors such as temperature,s alinity and light. We conduct spatiotemporal surveys of bacterioplankton community composition using flow cytometry (conventional and scanning), genomics and electron microscopy to identify changes in bacterial community composition that can be diagnostic of the environmental conditions in which they thrive. For this, we collect weekly samples from a coastal station in the Gulf of Naples, conduct seasonal surveys of microplastics in the Med Sea and in other seas.
The potential applicant will be trained in all these techniques and their data analyses, in order to construct a conceptual framework of how bacterioplankton reacts to environmental conditions. Sampling at sea will be possible upon boat availability and eventuality of ship of opportunity.
Our Institute offers free access to most advanced facilities of flow cytometry, electron microscopy and a full molecular biology service, including bioinformatics.
