News

A new study led by the University of British Columbia (UBC), with contributions from IGB, has revealed alarming results: climate change could lead to an increase in bacterial and fungal infections in cold-blooded animals such as corals, insects and fish. 

Postdoctoral researcher Nedim Tüzün's new research project ECO-EVO ALAN is funded by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Fellowship. It focuses on how artificial light at night (ALAN) affects aquatic ecosystems, especially urban ponds. While the negative effects of ALAN on terrestrial ecosystems are well documented, there are still many unanswered questions about its effects on aquatic systems. 

Researchers from IGB sequenced the complete genome of the microalgae of the Oder disaster.They also identified the gene sequences that are responsible for toxin formation. This is an important step on the way to an early warning system. The study was published in the journal Current Biology.

It's not completely still in the water or under the ice during the cold season, even though some organisms in this habitat rest or hibernate. Some fascinating facts about winter survival in lakes, ponds and puddles. Plus: how we can support the animals and plants in our garden pond to survive the cold.

POUNDER, a project by the two junior research group leaders, Lynn Govaert and Stephanie Spahr, has succeeded in the Senate Committee Competition of the Leibniz Association and will be funded in the Cooperative Excellence Programme from January 2024.

Clonal fish that are reared under nearly identical, highly standardised environments systematically differ in the number and size of offspring per reproduction cycle, two crucial indicators of biological fitness.

Without microorganisms, our ecosystems would not function properly: fungi “predigest” food, parasites keep blue-green algae in check, and water fleas play an important role in aquatic food web dynamics and structure. At IGB, many researchers are working on different microorganisms, studying both the ecology of these organisms and the extent to which they are threatened by climate change and other human-induced changes. While the findings are fascinating, they are also a stark reminder that the diversity of life in our waters is under threat - even the microbes.

IGB researcher Lynn Govaert has been awarded funding under the Emmy Noether Programme. Her project will focus on the question whether we can predict species and community responses to environmental change based on the strength of the key interacting evolutionary and ecological processes.