Our research group was a major contributor, delivering three excellent presentations and a poster that showcased our innovative work across diverse and critical ecosystems.
The first presentation by Eira Carlsen detailed experimental studies on thawing permafrost peat from Northern Norway, revealing that suboxic conditions cause a drastic decline in greenhouse gas production, a finding linked to microbial metabolic inefficiency. This work highlighted critical greenhouse gas emission thresholds influenced by redox conditions and the permafrost's organic matter legacy.
Christine Riis-Pedersen´s presentation compared meromictic and holomictic lakes, showing that, while meromictic lakes accumulate up to 15 times more methane, they possess active microbial "methane filters" that may mitigate their atmospheric emissions.
The third, highly praised presentation by Franck Lejzerowicz used integrated multi-omics to study deep-sea sediment in the mineral-rich Eastern Clarion-Clipperton Zone, an area facing deep-sea mining threats. This research successfully linked the diversity of Foraminifera to the abundance of microbes performing metal harvesting functions, emphasizing the need to safeguard these key prokaryotic-eukaryotic interactions.
Finally, Even Werner's poster presented a crucial "One Health" perspective on AMRG dispersion and bioaccumulation across the marine food web, utilizing metagenomics and time-series data from mussels, cod, and seals.
Collectively, our contributions demonstrated the group's leadership in using advanced techniques in metagenomics to address global challenges, from Arctic carbon cycling to deep-sea ecosystem resilience.