Last week, researchers from iBB and DBE actively participated in the Trends in Marine Host-Microbe Symbioses Symposium, held in Padua, Italy. The event focused on advancing our understanding of the relationships between marine organisms and their microbial symbionts. As marine ecosystems face increasing pressures from climate change and human activities, unravelling these interactions is key to supporting ecosystem resilience and restoration.

PhD student Joana Couceiro presented a poster entitled “Expanding the diversity of culturable coral-associated bacteria through aerobic, microaerophilic and anaerobic conditions: a quest for novel marine drug producers,” highlighting the biotechnological potential of the coral microbiome.

Dr Tina Keller-Costa delivered a talk titled “Novel chitinases from Endozoicomonadaceae symbionts provide insights into their potential metabolic role in corals.” Her abstract was selected among the best ten submissions and awarded a travel grant to attend the meeting.

The symposium provided an excellent platform for scientific exchange and collaboration, showcasing recent advances in marine host-microbe research and emphasizing its ecological and biotechnological relevance.