A5016552024- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Marine Sponges and Natural Products
- Gut microbiota and health
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Aquaculture disease management and microbiota
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction
- Marine and coastal ecosystems
- Bioinformatics and Genomic Networks
- Physiological and biochemical adaptations
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Wastewater Treatment and Nitrogen Removal
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Hydrological Forecasting Using AI
- Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Ichthyology and Marine Biology
- Human Motion and Animation
- Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals
- Cephalopods and Marine Biology
The University of Melbourne
2021-2025
University of California, Los Angeles
2024
Indian Institute of Technology Mandi
2022-2024
Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani
2024
Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica
2017-2023
Institute of Information Science, Academia Sinica
2017-2021
National Tsing Hua University
2017-2021
Institute of Bioinformatics
2018
University of Hyderabad
2016
Tata Memorial Hospital
1969
Corals are associated with a variety of bacteria, which occur in the surface mucus layer, gastrovascular cavity, skeleton, and tissues. Some tissue-associated bacteria form clusters, termed cell-associated microbial aggregates (CAMAs), poorly studied. Here, we provide comprehensive characterization CAMAs coral Pocillopora acuta. Combining imaging techniques, laser capture microdissection, amplicon metagenome sequencing, show that (i) located tentacle tips may be intracellular; (ii) contain...
Dominant coral-associated Endozoicomonas bacteria species are hypothesized to play a role in the coral sulfur cycle by metabolizing dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) into dimethylsulfide (DMS); however, no sequenced genome date harbors genes for this process. In study, we assembled high-quality (>95% complete) draft genomes of strains recently added acroporae (Acr-14
Bacteria commonly form aggregates in a range of coral species [termed coral-associated microbial (CAMAs)], although these structures remain poorly characterized despite extensive efforts studying the microbiome. Here, we comprehensively characterize CAMAs associated with Stylophora pistillata and quantify their cell abundance. Our analysis reveals that multiple Endozoicomonas phylotypes coexist inside single CAMA. Nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging revealed cells were enriched...
Abstract Interactions between microalgae and bacteria can directly influence the global biogeochemical cycles but majority of such interactions remain unknown. 16S rRNA gene-based co-occurrence networks have potential to help identify microalgal-bacterial interactions. Here, we used data from 10 Earth microbiome projects associations in aquatic ecosystems. A high degree clustering was observed modules, indicating densely connected neighbourhoods. Proteobacteria Bacteroidetes predominantly...
Endolithic microbes in coral skeletons are known to be a nutrient source for the host. In addition aerobic endolithic algae and Cyanobacteria, which usually described various corals form green layer beneath tissues, anaerobic photoautotrophic sulfur bacteria (GSB) Prosthecochloris is dominant skeleton of Isopora palifera. However, due inherent challenges studying skeleton, reason its niche preference function largely unknown.This study characterized diverse dynamic community shaped by...
The success of tropical scleractinian corals depends on their ability to establish symbioses with microbial partners. Host phylogeny and traits are known shape the coral microbiome, but what extent they affect its composition remains unclear. Here, by using 12 species representing complex robust clades, we explored influence host phylogeny, skeletal architecture, reproductive mode microbiome composition, further investigated structure tissue skeleton bacterial communities. Our results show...
Reef-building corals are acutely threatened by ocean warming, calling for active interventions to reduce coral bleaching and mortality. Corals associate with a wide diversity of bacteria which can influence health, but knowledge specific functions that may be beneficial under thermal stress is scant. Under the oxidative theory bleaching, scavenge reactive oxygen (ROS) or nitrogen species (RNS) expected enhance resilience. Further, bacterial carbon export might substitute supply from algal...
The coral microbiome has been known to play a crucial role in host health. In recent years, we have that the changes response external stressors and hosts structure their host-specific manner.
The coral holobiont is the assemblage of host and its microbial symbionts, which functions as a unit responsive to species environmental factors. Although monitoring surveys have been done determine bacteria associated with coral, none persisted for >1 y. Therefore, potential variations in minor or dominant community members that occur over extended intervals not characterized. In this study, 16S rRNA amplicon pyrosequencing was used investigate relationship between bacterial communities...
The shallow-water hydrothermal vent system of Kueishan Island has been described as one the world's most acidic and sulfide-rich marine habitats. only recorded metazoan species living in direct vicinity vents is Xenograpsus testudinatus, a brachyuran crab endemic to systems. Despite toxicity hydrogen sulfide, X. testudinatus occupies an ecological niche habitat, with underlying detoxification mechanism remaining unknown. Using laboratory field-based experiments, we characterized gills that...
Ostreobium, the major algal symbiont of coral skeleton, remains understudied despite extensive research on holobiont. The enclosed nature skeleton might reduce dispersal and exposure residing bacteria to outside environment, allowing stronger associations with algae. Here, we describe bacterial communities associated cultured strains 5 Ostreobium clades using 16S rRNA sequencing. We shed light their likely physical by comparative analysis three datasets generated capture (1) all algae...
Global decline of coral reefs due to climate change calls for effective, nature-based strategies protect these crucial ecosystems. Developing such requires a thorough understanding the complex roles and interactions key inhabitants within holobionts. Using metatranscriptomics approach, we investigated transcriptionally active microbiome healthy stony Porites lutea, focusing on tissue, green endolithic algal layer (Ostreobium layer), deeper skeleton. We show distinct, metabolically...
The bacterial genus Endozoicomonas is a predominant member of the coral microbiome, widely recognised for its ubiquity and ability to form high-density aggregates within tissues. Hence, investigating metabolic interplay with hosts offers critical insights into ecological roles contributions health resilience. Using long- short-read whole-genome sequencing 11 strains from Acropora loripes , genome sizes were found range between 5.8 7.1 Mbp. Phylogenomic analysis identified two distinct clades...
Abstract At present, our knowledge on the compartmentalization of coral holobiont microbiomes is highly skewed toward millimeter-thin tissue, leaving diverse skeleton microbiome underexplored. Here, we present a genome-centric view reef-building corals Porites lutea and Isopora palifera, through compendium ∼400 high-quality bacterial archaeal metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), spanning 34 phyla 57 classes. Skeletal harbored array stress response genes, including dimethylsulfoniopropionate...
Abstract Genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) of microbial communities offer valuable insights into the functional capabilities their members and facilitate exploration interactions. These are generated using different automated reconstruction tools, each relying on biochemical databases that may affect conclusions drawn from in silico analysis. One way to address this problem is employ a consensus method combines outcomes tools. Here, we conducted comparative analysis community...
The coral skeleton harbours a diverse community of bacteria and microeukaryotes exposed to light, O2 pH gradients, but how such physicochemical gradients affect the microbiome remains unclear. In this study, we employed chemical imaging pH, hyperspectral reflectance spatially resolved taxonomic inferred functional characterization explore links between microenvironment in reef-building corals Porites lutea Paragoniastrea benhami. environment was more stable deep skeleton, diversity evenness...
Endolithic microbial symbionts in the coral skeleton may play a pivotal role maintaining health. However, compared to aerobic micro-organisms, research on roles of endolithic anaerobic micro-organisms and microbe-microbe interactions are still their infancy. In our previous study, we showed that group coral-associated
In metagenomics, the separation of nucleotide sequences belonging to an individual or closely matched populations is termed binning. Binning helps evaluation underlying microbial population structure as well recovery genomes from a sample uncultivable organisms. Both supervised and unsupervised learning methods have been employed in binning; however, characterizing metagenomic containing multiple strains remains significant challenge. this study, we designed implemented new workflow,...
Abstract Coral microbiomes differ in the mucus, soft tissue and skeleton of a coral colony, but whether variations exist different tissues single polyp is unknown. In stony coral, Fimbriaphyllia ancora , we identified 8,994 amplicon sequencing variants (ASVs) functionally differentiated tissues, i.e., tentacles, body wall, mouth pharynx, mesenterial filaments, gonads (testes ovaries), with large proportion ASVs specific to individual tissues. However, shared comprised majority from all terms...
Chlamydiae are ubiquitous intracellular bacteria and infect a wide diversity of eukaryotes, including mammals. However, chlamydiae have never been reported to photosynthetic organisms. Here, we describe novel chlamydial genus species, Candidatus Algichlamydia australiensis, capable infecting the dinoflagellate Cladocopium sp. (originally isolated from scleractinian coral). australiensis was confirmed be by fluorescence in situ hybridization confocal laser scanning microscopy temporally...
Very few studies have attempted to profile the microbial communities in air above freshwater bodies, such as lakes, even though sources are an important part of aquatic ecosystems and airborne bacteria most dispersible microorganisms on earth. In present study, we investigated waters two high mountain sub-alpine montane lakes-located 21 km apart with disparate trophic characteristics-and them. Although lakes had locational differences, their community compositions remained constant over...