DIAS Event: 'Marine viruses are key drivers of global biogeochemical cycling' by Mathias Middelboe

Viruses have a significant impact on marine prokaryotic mortality, diversity, and biogeochemical cycling. They do this by infecting and lysing cells, which release labile dissolved organic matter and stimulate the mineralization of inorganic nutrients. The sheer abundance of oceanic viruses results in ~1029 viral infections per day, causing the release of 108–109 tonnes of carbon per day from the biological pool, which are potentially available for recycling by prokaryotes. During infection, viruses can also maintain host metabolism through the use of virus-encoded auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs), which can alleviate energetic and biosynthetic bottlenecks during virus proliferation. In temperate viruses, however, the viral genome can be integrated into the host genome as a prophage, and prophage-encoded AMGs can increase the metabolic capacity of the host rather than of the phage. Consequently, viruses can affect prokaryote biogeochemical cycling both directly through virus-encoded metabolic genes that support host performance, and indirectly by promoting cell lysis and release of labile dissolved organic matter. In this presentation, I will present our work on the role of marine viruses in shaping microbial communities and biogeochemical cycling.
 
About Mathias Middelboe
Mathias Middelboe is a professor in marine viral ecology at the Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen and University of Southern Denmark. He earned his PhD in aquatic microbial ecology from the University of Copenhagen in 1994 and established in 1997 a research group with a focus on the role of bacterial viruses (bacteriophages) in marine environments (water column and sediments). He is especially interested in exploring how interactions between bacteriophages and bacteria drive phage and host diversity and evolution, and in resolving the role of bacteriophages in marine biogeochemical cycling. His research also includes more applied aspects of phage–bacteria interactions, exploring the potential and challenges of using phages to control pathogenic bacteria in aquaculture.

Venue
The DIAS Auditorium, SDU Campus Odense

This event is open for all. No registration needed.