Internal Cycle of Seminars at IMEDEA (CISI) consist on a cycle of seminar presentations given mainly by doctoral students, masters and junior postdocs, although it is not closed to other staff, such as visitors and staff, that take place every Friday from 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m in the seminar room os IMEDEA.

This represents a great opportunity to learn more about the research carried out at the Institute and to bring those with less experience , the chance of increasing their presentation and public speaking skills. Afterwards, there will be coffee and some biscuits 😉 We strongly encourage you to participate. Join us!

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Internal Cycle of Seminars IMEDEA - Marco Polin - «Single cell death triggers local avoidance response in the cosmopolitan picoeukaryote Micromonas.»

21/09/2023

Abstract

Phytoplankton cell death has been identified as contributing to the largest carbon transfers on the planet moving 109 tonnes of carbon in the oceans every day. During a cell death organic matter is released into the local environment which can act as both a food source and a warning signal for nearby organisms.

Here we present a novel motility response in populations of the cosmopolitan pico-eukaryote Micromonas sp., where the death of a single cell triggers the escape of cells in the surrounding area. These so-called “burst events” follow a simple model based on the release of a diffusive species with an estimated diffusion constant typical of molecules. Laser ablation of single cells reproduces the observed avoidance response, confirming that Micromonas sp. has evolved a motility allowing it to escape from regions where cell lysis takes place.

This behaviour has potential implications for the spread of viral infections in Micromonas communities.

Link to the video here