{"id":136757,"date":"2026-10-15T10:55:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T10:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/?page_id=136757"},"modified":"2026-10-15T13:41:06","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T13:41:06","slug":"symbaltic","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/projects\/symbaltic\/","title":{"rendered":"SYMBALTIC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"vf-grid | vf-grid__col-3\"><div class=\"vf-grid__col--span-2\"><!--[vf\/content]-->\n<div class=\"vf-content\">\n\n<p class=\"vf-lede\">Baltic alliances: Symbiosis as the engine of phytoplankton diversity and nitrogen cycling<\/p>\n<!--\/vf-lede-->\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SYMBALTIC is a collaborative project aiming to understand the mechanisms behind Baltic Sea phytoplankton population dynamics as a predictor for the changing global ocean. The project aims to build on a partnership made through TREC, which led to a recent discovery of a tripartite symbiosis involving <em>Chaetoceros,<\/em> that has both seasonal recurrence and potentially inhabits the entire Baltic Sea. We will systematically uncover the factors influencing the seasonal biogeography as well as develop the consortium into a tractable model system for future experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Objectives<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Map distribution, seasonality and environmental drivers of <em>Chaetoceros<\/em> holobionts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Establish <em>Chaetoceros<\/em> cell cultures and co-cultures for understanding of life cycle dynamics<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Determine nutrient and carbon fluxes, and their differences between the <em>Chaetoceros<\/em> cell cultures and the samples captured in nature<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:34px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"vf-figure wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"670\" height=\"650\" class=\"vf-figure__image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Diatom_Ciliate.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-136753\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Diatom_Ciliate.jpg 670w, https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Diatom_Ciliate-300x291.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 670px) 100vw, 670px\" \/><figcaption class=\"vf-figure__caption\">Diatom-ciliate symbiosis. Credit: Tina Wiegand, Mobile Labs CF<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div><!--[vf\/content]-->\n<div class=\"vf-content\">\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Project lead<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"vf-content-hub-html\" data-cache=\"4d493707\">\n      <!-- Generated by: http:\/\/content.embl.org\/api\/v1\/pattern.html?filter-content-type=person&amp;filter-field-contains%5Bfield_person_full_name%5D=Flora%20Vincent&amp;filter-fields-empty=field_person_visible_internally&amp;filter-ref-entity%5Bfield_person_positions%5D%5Btitle%5D=&amp;filter-ref-entity%5Bfield_person_positions%5D%5Bfield_position_primary%5D=1&amp;hide%5Bteam%2Cphones%2Corcid%5D=1&amp;limit=1&amp;pattern=vf-profile-inline -->\n                \n                            <article class=\"vf-profile vf-profile--very-easy vf-profile--medium vf-profile--inline\" data-embl-js-conditional-edit=\"161069\">\n              <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"vf-profile__image\" src=\"https:\/\/content.embl.org\/\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/medium\/public\/persons\/CP-60038825.jpg?itok=It2v6gSL\" alt=\"image of Flora Vincent\" \/>\n      \n              <h3 class=\"vf-profile__title\">\n                      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/people\/person\/flora-vincent\" class=\"vf-profile__link\">Flora Vincent<\/a>\n                  <\/h3>\n      \n              <p class=\"vf-profile__job-title\">\n          Group Leader\n        <\/p>\n      \n      \n      \n      \n      \n      \n            <a class=\"vf-text vf-text--body-r vf-link embl-conditional-edit\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"\/node\/161069\/161069\" target=\"_blank\">\n        Edit\n      <\/a>\n    <\/article>\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lead scientist<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"vf-content-hub-html\" data-cache=\"22ca1886\">\n      <!-- Generated by: http:\/\/content.embl.org\/api\/v1\/pattern.html?filter-content-type=person&amp;filter-field-contains%5Bfield_person_full_name%5D=Thomas%20Beavis&amp;filter-fields-empty=field_person_visible_internally&amp;filter-ref-entity%5Bfield_person_positions%5D%5Btitle%5D=&amp;filter-ref-entity%5Bfield_person_positions%5D%5Bfield_position_primary%5D=1&amp;hide%5Bteam%2Cphones%2Corcid%5D=1&amp;limit=1&amp;pattern=vf-profile-inline -->\n                \n                            <article class=\"vf-profile vf-profile--very-easy vf-profile--medium vf-profile--inline\" data-embl-js-conditional-edit=\"171507\">\n              <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"vf-profile__image\" src=\"https:\/\/content.embl.org\/\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/medium\/public\/persons\/CP-60040118.jpg?itok=Abi_3MgN\" alt=\"image of Thomas Beavis\" \/>\n      \n              <h3 class=\"vf-profile__title\">\n                      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/people\/person\/thomasgeorge-beavis\" class=\"vf-profile__link\">Thomas Beavis<\/a>\n                  <\/h3>\n      \n              <p class=\"vf-profile__job-title\">\n          Predoctoral Fellow\n        <\/p>\n      \n      \n      \n      \n      \n      \n            <a class=\"vf-text vf-text--body-r vf-link embl-conditional-edit\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"\/node\/171507\/171507\" target=\"_blank\">\n        Edit\n      <\/a>\n    <\/article>\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:29px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Collaborators<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<article class=\"vf-profile vf-profile--very-easy vf-profile--medium vf-profile--inline | vf-u-margin__bottom--400\">\n\n            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"vf-profile__image\" src=\"https:\/\/dev.assets.emblstatic.net\/vf\/v2.0.0-alpha.6\/assets\/vf-summary\/assets\/vf-icon--avatar.svg\" > \n    \n    <h3 class=\"vf-profile__title\" >\n                    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gu.se\/en\/about\/find-staff\/helleploug\" target=\"_self\" class=\"vf-profile__link\">Helle Ploug<\/a>\n            <\/h3>\n    \n                <p class=\"vf-profile__text\" >\n                University of Gothenburg            <\/p>\n    \n    \n      \n\n    \n<\/article>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<article class=\"vf-profile vf-profile--very-easy vf-profile--medium vf-profile--inline | vf-u-margin__bottom--400\">\n\n    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"279\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Sirje-Sildever-279x300.jpg\" class=\"vf-profile__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" itemprop=\"image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Sirje-Sildever-279x300.jpg 279w, https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Sirje-Sildever.jpg 702w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 279px) 100vw, 279px\" \/>\n    <h3 class=\"vf-profile__title\" >\n                    <a href=\"https:\/\/taltech.ee\/en\/department-marine-systems\/laboratory-of-marine-ecology\" target=\"_self\" class=\"vf-profile__link\">Sirje Sildever<\/a>\n            <\/h3>\n    \n                <p class=\"vf-profile__text\" >\n                TALTECH            <\/p>\n    \n    \n      \n\n    \n<\/article>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":714,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-title-left-aligned.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"embl_taxonomy":[],"class_list":["post-136757","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"embl_taxonomy_terms":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/136757","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136757"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/136757\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":136791,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/136757\/revisions\/136791"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136757"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"embl_taxonomy","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/embl_taxonomy?post=136757"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}