Ute Hentschel Humeida

Primary production losses by viruses are about as high as those via grazing (consumption), yet phytoplankton-virus interactions are only poorly understood. Single-cell genomics is one promising new tool to address directly diversity and specificity of such interactions. We will sample Emiliania huxleyi genotypes during phytoplankton blooms that are killed upon attack by Phycodnaviruses. In doing so, we will address viral diversity in E. hux cells in an unbiased approach. Such data are urgently needed to model the ecology of the infection as well as to analyze co-evolutionary patterns, which will ultimately lead to a better understanding of the genomics of viral lysis of phytoplankton blooms.