The Baltic Sea sponge Halichondria panicea growing among red algae
Our lab seeks to elucidate the mechanisms of interaction between marine organisms, such as sponges, and their symbiotic microbial consortia. Our research exposes fundamental principles, how they function, evolve, and influence marine habitats.
We further pursue an applied angle to harvest marine microbial resources for solutions against man-made challenges. Under the umbrella of Ocean Health, our topics range from antimicrobial resistances in marine ecosystems to developing new enzymatic tools against plastic pollution.
We work on different scales from viruses, single cells, organisms, holobionts, ecosystems, to global patterns. Regular field work is combined with laboratory experimentation and bioinformatic analyses. Developing experimentally tractable models for host-microbe interactions is a major goal of the lab.
