Ecology of Photoheterotrophic bacteria
One of the major advances achieved in recent decades was the discovery of marine photoheterotrophic bacteria, which challenged our understanding of microbial food webs in the ocean. These organisms are heterotrophs capable of harvesting light energy to supplement their metabolic needs. I have contributed to advancing knowledge on the ecology of aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic (AAP) bacteria, which contain bacteriochlorophyll a. My work has examined their spatial distribution at global scales as well as their interannual variability in time‑series observations. I also demonstrated, for the first time, that light enhances the growth rates of AAPs.
Recently, within the framework of the ECLIPSE project funded by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación, we addressed long‑standing methodological challenges by evaluating and redesigning pufM gene primers, revealing previously overlooked taxonomic groups and refining the tools available for studying AAP diversity. We also showed how AAP community composition varies with depth, particularly around the deep chlorophyll maximum, and estimated the amount of solar energy these bacteria capture. Additionally, we explored their spatial and temporal variability in the Alboran Sea.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:
Ferrera I, Kolarova E, Sanchez O, Koblizek M, Gasol JM. 2017. LIGHT ENHANCES THE GROWTH RATES OF NATURAL POPULATIONS OF AEROBIC ANOXYGENIC PHOTOTROPHIC BACTERIA. The ISME Journal 11: 2391–2393.
Gazulla CR, Cabello AM, Sánchez P, Gasol JM, Sánchez O, Ferrera I. 2023. A METAGENOMICS AND AMPLICON SEQUENCING COMBINED APPROACH REVEALS THE BEST PRIMERS TO STUDY MARINE AEROBIC ANOXYGENIC PHOTOTROPHS. Microbial Ecology 86: 2161–2172. Read article
Gazulla CR, Koblížek M, Mercado JM, Gasol JM, Sánchez O, Ferrera I. 2024. AEROBIC ANOXYGENIC PHOTOTROPHIC BACTERIA CORRELATE WITH PICOPHYTOPLANKTON ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN BUT SHOW UNIQUE VERTICAL BIOENERGETICS. Limnology and Oceanography 69(11), 2503-2515. Read article