Marjan Ghotbi | FB3 Marine Ökologie | FE Ökosystembiologie des Ozeans
Doktorandin | Needham Lab
Kontakt
Tel: +49 431 600 4412
E-Mail: mghotbi(at)geomar.de
Büro: 5 - 1.426
Adresse
GEOMAR | Helmholtz Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel
Wischhofstraße 1-3
24148 Kiel
Deutschland
Research Interest
My research focuses on microbial interactions, particularly among eukaryotes, prokaryotes, and viruses. During my PhD, I explore the complex relationships between algae and their associated microbiomes through both observational and targeted experimental approaches, conducted in situ and in the laboratory. As part of this work, I have developed a high-throughput microvolume DNA extraction method for microscale analysis of microbe-to-microbe interactions, enabling the study of cross-kingdom microbial dynamics in marine systems.
Currently, I am integrating data on prokaryotic community dynamics observed during natural phytoplankton blooms with those from experimentally simulated blooms using a 96-well microcosm platform.
Broadly, I am interested in uncovering the mechanisms that govern microbial interactions and host–microbiome associations. Understanding how microbes interact within their environments, and how hosts (both unicellular and multicellular) recruit and maintain their microbiomes, can provide insights into ecosystem dynamics, host performance, and resilience, with implications for both environmental and host health.
Education and Academic Background
- Doctoral Researcher in Helmholtz Young Investigator Group of GEOMAR (Present)
- Graduate Research Assistant in Marine Experimental Ecology Research Unit of GEOMAR
- M.Sc Biological Oceanography, CAU, Kiel, Germany
- Researcher at Shahed University Agricultural Research Unit, Tehran, Iran
- Researcher at Environmental Science Research Institute of Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
- M.Sc Fisheries Sciences (Natural Recourses Engineering), IAU, Tehran, Iran
- B.Sc in Fisheries Sciences (Natural Recourses Engineering), IAU, Tehran, Iran
Service and Awards
- 2024 Graduate student travel grant, 19th International Society of Microbial Ecology
- 2024 Foster Young Ocean Researcher Development (FYORD) Research Grant
- 2024 GEOMAR Dokteam member (PhD student representatives)
- 2024 ASLO (Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography) membership
- 2024-pres ASLO student committee membership
- 2023-pres ISME (International Society for Microbial Ecology) membership (947652)
- 2023 Symbnet (European cooperation in symbiosis research) Winter School Travel Grant
- 2007-2017 ANREO (Agricultural & Natural Resources Engineering Organization) membership
Selected publications
Ghotbi, M., Ghotbi, M., D’Agostino, E., Kanitz, M., & Needham, D. M. (2025). From Microscale to Microbial Insights: Validating High-Throughput Microvolume Extraction (HiMEx) Methods for Marine Microbial Ecology. ISME Communications, https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycaf218
Ghotbi, M., Stajich, J.E., Dallas, J.W., Rurik, A.J., Cummins, C., Vargas-Gastélum, L., Ghotbi, M., Spatafora, J.W., Kelly, K., Alexander, N.R. and Moe, K.C., (2025). Absolute abundance unveils Basidiobolus as a cross-domain bridge indirectly bolstering gut microbiome homeostasis. The ISME journal, 19(1), https://doi.org/10.1093/ismejo/wraf150
Ghotbi, M., Bonthond, G., Ghotbi, M., Künzel, S., Needham, D. M., & Weinberger, F. (2025). Greater host influence and promiscuity: how an invasive seaweed host has advantages over co-occurring natives. ISME communications, 5(1), https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycaf120
Mudlaff, C. M., Weinberger, F., Düsedau, L., Ghotbi, M., Künzel, S.., & Bonthond, G. (2025). Seasonal Cycles in a Seaweed Holobiont: A Multiyear Time Series Reveals Repetitive Microbial Shifts and Core Taxa. Environmental Microbiology, 27(3), e70062. https://enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1462-2920.70062 https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.70062
Ghotbi, Mi., Ghotbi, Ma., Kuzyakov, Y., & Horwath, W. R. (2025). Management and rhizosphere microbial associations modulate genetic-driven nitrogen fate. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 378, 109308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2024.109308
Vargas-Gastélum, L., Romer, A. S., Ghotbi, M., Dallas, J. W., Alexander, N. R., Moe, K. C., ... & Walker, D. M. (2024). Herptile gut microbiomes: a natural system to study multi-kingdom interactions between filamentous fungi and bacteria. Msphere, e00475-23. https://doi.org/10.1128/msphere.00475-23
Ghotbi, M., Taghizadeh-Mehrjardi, R., Knief, C., Ghotbi, M., Kent, A. D., & Horwath, W. R. (2023). The patchiness of soil 13C versus the uniformity of 15N distribution with geomorphic position provides evidence of erosion and accelerated organic matter turnover. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 356, 108616. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2023.108616
Ghotbi, M., Kelting, O., Blümel, M., & Tasdemir, D. (2022). Gut and Gill-Associated Microbiota of the Flatfish European Plaice (Pleuronectes platessa): Diversity, Metabolome and Bioactivity against Human and Aquaculture Pathogens. Marine Drugs, 20(9), 573. https://doi.org/10.3390/md20090573
M.Ghotbi, M. Ghotbi, & Gh. Azari Takami., (2011). Special issue, Contribution Of Vitaton (β-Carotene) To The Rearing Factors, Survival Rate And Visual Flesh Color Of Rainbow Trout Fish In Comparison With Astaxanthin 2011, Special issue of International Journal of Biological and Life Sciences, 59 .P. 1649-1654. https://www.zef.de/fileadmin/user_upload/2712_v59-313.pdf
M Ghotbi, M Amini Dehghan, M Ghotbi. (2011). Effect of nutritional regime on expression of pathogenicity of Fusarium oxysporum against Orobanche aegyptiaca Pers. International Journal of AgriScience. 1(4), 012-031. [PDF] from researchgate.net
M. Wahsha, Anas. M.Al-omari, K. Mostafavi, B. Raafat, M. Ghotbi, M. Ghotbi, H.R. Rouhi, M. Esmaeili Azad, M. Ramezani, M. Amini Dehaghi, A. Moghaddam Khamse. Modellistic Approach for Land Suitability An Application to Maize .J .Am Sci, 2012; 8(5):139-149.(ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.americanscience.org
Selected Conference Presentations
Marjan Ghotbi, Mitra Ghotbi, Elisa D'Agostino Maarten Kanitz & David M. Needham.Unraveling microbial dynamics during phytoplankton blooms via HiMEx. Topic 6 Symposium (HIFMB). Oldenburg,Germany, 2025. Oral presentation. https://hifmb.de/event/topic-6-symposium-2025/
Marjan Ghotbi, Mitra Ghotbi, Elisa D'Agostino, Yu Wang & David M. Needham. Unraveling microbial dynamics during phytoplankton blooms: Integration of microscale simulation and high frequency time-series observation in nature, ISME19, Cape Town, South Africa, 18-23 August 2024, Poster presentation. https://isme19.isme-microbes.org/
Ghotbi, Marjan, Wahl, Martin, Needham, David M, Ghotbi, Mitra & Weinberger, Florian. Invasive metaorganism shapes its microbiome, CRC1182 , Kiel, Germany, 4-6 October, 2023, Poster presentation, www.metaorganism-research.com/seminars-events/activities/horizons-in-metaorganism-research/
Ghotbi, Marjan, Wahl, Martin, Needham, David M, Ghotbi, Mitra & Weinberger, Florian. Holobiont's potential to manipulate its microbiome may contribute to its success and population expansion, FEMS2023 , Hamburg, Germany, July 9-14, 2023, Poster presentation, www.fems2023.org/abstracts
Marjan Ghotbi, Yu Wang, and David Needham. High-throughput microcosm approach reveals bacterioplankton dose-, species-, and form dependence to phytoplankton organic matter, Topic 6: Marines and polar life-POF 2023, Bremenhaven, June, 2023, Poster presentation
Marjan Ghotbi, Yu Wang, and David Needham. High-throughput microcosm approach reveals bacterioplankton dose-, species-, and form dependence to phytoplankton organic matter. ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting 2023, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, June, 2023. Oral presentation.
Ghotbi, M., Wahl, M., Needham, D., Bonthond, G., Stärck, N., Buchholz, B., Künzel, S., & Weinberger, F. Greater influence of host on recruitment and/or dismissal of the environmental microbes align with the success in seaweed holobionts. 2nd International Ocean Health Symposium . Kiel, Germany, August, 2022. https://events.geomar.de/event/2/
Marjan Ghotbi, Martin Wahl, David Needham, Mitra Ghotbi, Sven Künzel, and Florian Weinberger. Invasive seaweed shapes its microbiome, GEOMAR Science Day , Kiel, Germany, 2022, September. https://events.geomar.de/event/22/
Seaweeds microbiome and their contribution to seaweeds health, GEOMAR Science Day , Kiel, Germany, 2022, September. Oral presentation. https://events.geomar.de/event/22/
For complete publication list and more information please also see:
ResearchGate: www.researchgate.net/profile/Marjan-Ghotbi
Google Scholar Citations: scholar.google.de/citations
