The experiment is supported by the Imagine project and the EMBL planetary biology activities. The action will take place at the Ecimat and around 40 researchers will participate.
The Cellbloom project, promoted by the Biological Oceanography group of the Marine Research Center (CIM) of the University of Vigo and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), whose headquarters are in Germany, seeks to understand how the ocean will respond to two increasingly frequent and worrying phenomena: the proliferations of toxic microalgae that give rise to phenomena known as red tides and heat waves. This initiative is part of the Horizon Europa Imagine project, which promotes the development of cutting-edge imaging technologies in microscopy that allow to reduce the gap between molecular biology and functional biology, as well as by EMBL, within the framework of its transversal axis of Planetary Biology.
This is a high-level scientific collaboration that combines knowledge, cutting-edge technologies and the EMBL Advanced Mobile Laboratory (AML) which arrived in Vigo this Friday to work together with the CIM team, representing a clear example of European scientific cooperation.
Two experiments, one common goal: to better understand global change in the ocean
During the month of July, and based at the Toralla Marine Sciences Station, Ecimat, the CIM’s main research infrastructure, will carry out two experiments in parallel that will allow scientific knowledge about these processes to advance, with a clearly collaborative and European approach.
The first of the experiments will study whether compounds released by the marine plant Zostera mariña can contribute to slowing the growth of toxic microalgae responsible for red tides under natural conditions. The second will consist of simulating a marine heat wave to assess the impact of this increase in temperature on microbial plankton with special attention to key phytoplankton species present in the waters of the Vigo estuary.
Use of unique infrastructures in Europe
One of the most innovative elements of this collaboration is the participation of the EMBL Advanced Mobile Laboratory, a scientifically equipped truck with cutting-edge technology, which arrived in Vigo to allow in situ analysis of samples taken in the estuary. It represents a unique infrastructure designed to bring molecular and cellular research directly to the field. It is equipped, among others, with technology to preserve organisms for high-resolution electron microscopy and advanced analysis systems, which will allow observing in great detail how microorganisms react to different stimuli.
Furthermore, the experiments will be carried out in the Ecimat mesocosm, a unique facility at a European level that allows natural conditions to be simulated in a controlled manner, which is key to accurately assessing the effects of climate change and red tides on the marine ecosystem.
Collaborative science with local impact
Around 40 researchers will participate in this initiative, including staff from EMBL and CIM, as well as scientists from the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) of France and the University of Minho. In addition to advancing scientific knowledge, the project represents an enriching experience of exchanging ideas, methods and technologies between leading European institutions.
This type of study has a direct social impact: red tides affect food security, public health and the seafood sector, while heat waves alter the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems. Therefore, these experiments answer questions that are at the center of the environmental and economic debate today.
As explained by the person responsible for this initiative at the CIM and principal investigator of the Biological Oceanography group, Emilio Fernández, “these experiments are an example of how the confluence of very different methodological approaches oriented towards the same end will allow an advance in the knowledge of these environmental problems that none of the participating teams could have achieved even in their wildest dreams.”
For his part, the director of the EMBL Advanced Mobile Laboratory Service, Niko Leisch, highlights that “the Cellbloom project is a unique opportunity for all of us involved. We combine the fascinating biology of the proliferation of microalgae that occur naturally in the Vigo estuary, with the highly controlled conditions provided by Ecimat, and the advanced technologies provided by EMBL, in order to study the organisms, their reaction to changes in conditions, their interactions and their behavior in great detail.”
The experimental campaign will include an official visit for the media, in which details about the experiments and the scientific collaboration developed will be provided.
A project to strengthen European scientific competitiveness
The Cellbloom project is partially funded by the Imagine project, which brings together 22 partners from different European countries, including research centers, universities and companies. Its objective is to strengthen Europe’s scientific competitiveness in the fields of structural biology, imaging applied to biology and marine biology, through the development of new imaging technologies, commercial products and even spin-offs. It also promotes the integration of services, the training of researchers and collaboration with the industrial fabric, fostering a model of open science and innovation. The CIM participates in Imagine through its membership of the European infrastructure EMBRC-ERIC, acting as a reference center to test in real conditions some of the technologies developed within the framework of the project. This collaboration positions the CIM as a key player in the advancement of marine biology at a European level.
On the other hand, the Cellbloom project is also part of EMBL’s activities within its transversal axis of Planetary Biology, which promotes multidisciplinary initiatives that help understand at the molecular and mechanical level how organisms, populations and communities respond to their biotic and abiotic environment.
The CIM holds the CIGUS certification from the Regional Government of Galicia, which attests to the quality and impact of its research, and its activities are co-financed by the European Union through the 2021–2027 FEDER Program.
Source: DUVI
