Probing the Phycosphere: Techniques to Study Bacteria-Phytoplankton Interactions

Abstract

Synopsis The cumulative outcome of bacteria-phytoplankton cell-cell interactions has global-scale consequences that necessitate a more comprehensive understanding of the species that form these relationships, the chemical exchanges that govern them, and the chemical cues that trigger them. However, the diffuse liquid environment supporting these exchanges is inherently difficult to interrogate, which has moved researchers to combine multi-omics analyses, genome mining tools, genetic probes, and mathematical models to gain insight into the species and chemical networks existing around individual phytoplankton cells. Yet, fundamental questions still remain about these micro-scale interactions, creating an opportunity for innovating new methods where biology and chemistry interface with engineering and mathematics.