We are recruiting!
The Silveira Lab is recruiting highly motivated students with interest in microbial ecology to develop projects on phage-bacteria interactions in coral microbiomes. The student will apply molecular biology, bioinformatics and field biology tools to investigate tripartite symbiotic interactions between viruses, bacteria, and animal.
We are recruiting both undergraduates and PhD students. You can find more information on the PhD Program in Biology at the University of Miami here.
We are recruiting both undergraduates and PhD students. You can find more information on the PhD Program in Biology at the University of Miami here.
Viruses are the most abundant and diverse biological entities on the planet. There are about one million viruses per teaspoon of seawater, and 10 million viruses per gram of soil. Yet, most viral diversity is still unknown. A major standing question in the study on microbial communities is the contribution of bacteriophage (viruses that infect bacteria) infections to microbial diversity, metabolism, and community functions. Our goal is to understand, from molecular mechanisms to ecosystem outcomes, the interactions between phage and bacteria in coral-associated microbiomes.
Molecular drivers of phage-bacteria interactions Phages can establish different ecological relationships with the bacteria they infect, from predators to commensals. Our aim to understand the molecular drivers of these diverse interactions in marine microbial communities |
Phage-bacteria-coral symbiosisCorals live in symbiotic partnership with a milieu of bacteria and phage. The different phage replication strategies shape the microbiome of the coral host and modulate the interplay between commensal and pathogenic microbes. |
Phage-mediated coral diseaseLysogenic conversion of bacteria drives the emergence of human and animal pathogens. We are demonstrating that this process also happens in marine ecosystems, and is a threat for coral heath. |
NEWS
ConferencesGordon Research Conference
Hong Kong, July 2019 Dr. Cynthia Silveira presented her work on phage-mediated rise of coral pathogens at the Gordon Research Conference in Marine Molecular Ecology in Hong Kong. Dr. Silveira was invited to speak at the Viral Ecology session, where she shared her latest unpublished results on specific phage-encoded genes causing tissue damage in corals.
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PublicationsOxygen loss from
coral reefs June 2019 A manuscript describing biophysical and physiological mechanisms explaining why algae-dominated reefs have lower oxygen standing stocks than coral-dominated reefs, despite higher oxygen production, is now under review. This finding adds to the alarming global deoxygenation levels on marine ecosystems. The pre-print of this work is available on the BioRxiv.
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CollaborationsNew experiment
at AquaRio, Brazil July 2019 In July 2019 Dr. Cynthia Silveira was in Brazil to start collaborative project with Prof. Raquel Peixoto, Dr. Helena Vilella and Adam Barno, at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. They are testing how bacterial metabolism influences viral infection strategies, and how these microbial interactions ultimately impact coral health. The experiments are underway at the AquaRio, the city aquarium of Rio de Janeiro.
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