Course Identification

This course is a deep dive into the complex chemical communication between oceanic microbes. Zooplankton, phytoplankton, bacteria and viruses form highly complex foodweb interactions which have a huge ecological impact on our planet. Chemical signaling is a main mode of communication at sea, and understanding how micro-scale biological processes are linked to global-scale biogeochemical cycles and Earth's climate is of major ecological importance and at the frontiers of the current research in this field.

Join us to eavesdrop on the chemical conversations between oceanic microbes!

The lectures:

1. Marine chemical ecology - a journey across scales- Introducing the biological, chemical and physical aspects of chemical signaling between marine microbes, and their ecological significance on regional and global scales (Assaf).
2. DMS- a sulfur gas linking microbes and clouds- An infochemical that mediates marine foodweb interactions, as well as ocean-atmosphere dynamics and the global climate (Adva)
3. The chemical language of algae and their viruses- Tapping into the chemical signaling within algal blooms (Assaf)
4. The role of chemical exchange during algal-bacteria interactions (Adva)
5. Eat me, or don’t eat me? How chemical cues shape predator-prey dynamics (Adva)
6. Students’ projects (guided by Adva and Assaf)
7. Message in a bubble- chemical communication via extracellular vesicles (Daniella)
8. Tri-trophic interaction- examples for marine and terrestrial ecosystems (Adva)
9. How to measure microbial interaction? Discussing classical experiments versus cutting-edge technologies, current challenges, and future perspectives (Adva)
10. Students’ projects (cont).
11. The chemical nature of marine infochemicals- unique chemical features of marine infochemicals (Conny)
12. Students’ projects – cont.
13. The chemical ecology of our changing oceans- how chemical communication shapes- and influenced by- climate change and ocean acidification (Adva)

The student will gain a broad understanding of marine microbial and chemical ecology, learn about key microbial interactions in the ocean and how they play pivotal environmental roles, and be familiar with the latest discoveries of some of the information-conveying chemicals (infochemicals) that mediate those interactions.