Using ancient DNA to identify phytoplankton populations in marine sediments

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are natural phenomena caused by the proliferation of specific phytoplankton groups in a water body, which can negatively affect human health, socioeconomical sectors, and the environment. Possibly these phenomena have increased over time due to anthropogenic impact in coastal areas. Here, we are aiming to characterize phytoplankton diversity involved in past blooms in sediments previously collected in the Florida coastal waters, which are known HAB hotspots. The sediments cover a period of about 100 years and will thus be suitable to track phytoplankton and HAB species changes throughout the “Anthropocene”.

In this project, you will learn how to extract ancient DNA, amplify specific genes and perform bioinformatic analyses. The project involves both lab work and data analysis. This project will be conducted at NIOZ Texel, at the Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB) which studies microbial communities and their functioning in all types of marine environments, from estuaries to the deep ocean, from tropical coral reefs to polar regions, and from the present to the past. MMB is an international and dynamic department and has approximately 80 members, including PhD students, postdocs and Master students from more than 15 different countries. A group of sixteen staff scientists and fifteen research assistants (junior and senior) form the core of the department.

Requirements

We are looking for a motivated MSc student with great interest in marine microbiology/microbial ecology. Previous experience with molecular methods and basic bioinformatics is a plus. Project length is approximately 6 months (time interval can be discussed; project goals will be set accordingly) and start date is fall 2025. 

Contact

For more information and to apply, please contact the project's supervisor Laura Villanueva (laura.villanueva@nioz.nl). The project is part of a collaborative effort with the Marine Palynology and Paleoceanography group (Francesca Sangiorgi) of the Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University.