New findings illuminate how Prochlorococcus’ nightly “cross-feeding” plays a role in regulating the ocean’s capacity to cycle and store carbon. Continue reading An abundant phytoplankton feeds a global network of marine microbes
Tag Archives: Braakman
Braakman, R., Satinsky, B., Longnecker, K., Hogle, S. L., Becker, J. W., Li, R. C., Dooley, K., Arellano, A., Kido Soule, M. C., Kujawinski, E. B., & Chisholm, S. W. (2025), Global niche partitioning of purine and pyrimidine cross-feeding among ocean microbes, Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adp1949 Continue reading Global niche partitioning of purine and pyrimidine cross-feeding among ocean microbes
Like ancient mariners, ancestors of Prochlorococcus microbes rode out to sea on exoskeleton particles
A new study shows the carbon-capturing phytoplankton colonized the ocean by rafting on particles of chitin. Continue reading Like ancient mariners, ancestors of Prochlorococcus microbes rode out to sea on exoskeleton particles
Seeding Oceans with Iron may not Impact Climate Change
Darwin Project study led by Jonathan Lauderdale finds Earth’s oceans contain just the right amount of iron; adding more may not improve their ability to absorb carbon dioxide. Continue reading Seeding Oceans with Iron may not Impact Climate Change
Darwin Goes to Ocean Sciences 2020
Look out for the Darwin team, sharing their work at this year’s Ocean Sciences conference taking place February 16-21 in San Diego, California.
A Cellular View of Earth History
Reporting by Helen Hill for the MIT Darwin Project
For the past several years, Rogier Braakman, a research scientist working in Penny Chisholm’s lab and collaborating with Mick Follows, has been studying how metabolism evolves in ocean microbes. In a new paper, he argues that intrinsic properties of cellular metabolism imposed central constraints on the historical trajectories of biospheric productivity and atmospheric oxygenation. Continue reading A Cellular View of Earth History