Microorganisms collectively play a fundamental role in structuring elemental biogeochemical cycles on our Earth. The act at the microscale, by physically interacting with molecules and those interactions shape macroscopically our world thus making Earth and Ocean habitable. It is urgent to integrate the knowledge on their functioning from micro- to macroscale in order to predict the response of the diverse marine ecosystem to climate change.

EMLab, with a mechanistic and interdisciplinary approach, aims to deepen the knowledge in the field of microbiology thus focusing on three main pillars: physiology, genetics and ecology. EMLab research investigate the microbial worlds in order to answer questions such as: 1. Who is doing what in the environment (linking phylogenetic diversity with physiology); 2. How much -Quantifying the metabolic rates: growth, respiration, production and degradation of organic matter from micro- to macroscale (from individual cell to community level, biochemical interaction with molecules); 3. How this metabolic processes can influence the biogeochemical cycles, climate and marine ecosystem habitability.

EMLab promotes an integrated approach to tackle those questions, common tools are culture dependent and independent methods, next generation sequencing (NGS), genetic manipulation, high-speed video microscopy, radioactive and stable isotope incubation experiments and other high resolution instruments (nanoSIMS, AFM, IR, ATOFMS, via collaboration).

Marine microscale

Within marine carbon biogeochemical cycle, at the microscale, microbes constantly interact with a physical continuum of molecules, spanning from colloids to other organisms (Bacteria, Archaea, Viruses, and Eukarya).

1. Cell-cell interaction;
2. Cell-organic matter interaction.

Aim a: Understanding the ecological interaction, the behaviors and theirs dynamics among the groups (Bacteria, Archaea, Viruses, and Eukarya) in order to measure and define how they influence the carbon biogeochemical cycle.

Aim b: Understanding and quantifying the microbial adaptive strategies in the organic matter hydrolysis-uptake coupling with model organisms in order to model the fine-scale regulation in the organic matter degradation processes.

Marine macroscale

Carbon biogeochemical cycle in the ocean and at the water-sediment interface. Microbes degrade organic matter shaping the carbon cycle and the N, P, Si, Fe, S cycles thus including pollutants, pharmaceuticals and radionuclides.

Aim: Understanding the biodiversity-ecosystem function coupling that implies a good biogeochemical state.

Ocean-Atmosphere interactions

Ocean and Atmosphere are constantly exchanging water, gases and microbes. Sea spray aerosol particles are formed when a wave crash and the air bubbles burst at the air-water interface thus launching in the atmosphere little droplets of seawater that are chemically complex and can have microbes inside (Bacteria, Archaea, and Viruses). Sea spray directly and indirectly influence the chemistry of the atmosphere and climate. Within CAICE, EMLab studies the role of marine microbes in shape ocean chemistry that influences atmospheric chemistry via sea spray aerosol particles.

Aim: Understanding how the diversity, the growth and the metabolism (organic matter degradation) of the marine microbes on the sea spray particles can dictate the chemistry of the atmosphere.