2020 C3 Colloquium: Marine modelling from cell to ecosystem scales

Technological advances in computing and DNA sequencing have dramatically expanded our understanding of microbial diversity, evolution and activity. These approaches have fueled microbial discoveries of great relevance for the past, present and future of systems that sustain the productivity and habitability of this planet. The implications and opportunities arising from our new awareness of our microbial world are far reaching, yet undervalued. Despite their critical role, the incorporation of microbial diversity and activity into ecosystem models and monitoring tools is in its infancy. This Colloquium will showcase novel tools and quantitative approaches to model and measure the activity of genes and microbes in the context of living systems, from individual cells to the global scale. This colloquium will aim to identify 'which microbial molecular and metabolic processes matter for modelling large scale processes’, constituting a much needed stepping stone to enable the incorporation of relevant microbe-mediated processes in modelling approaches. 

Local and international researchers from different fields will be invited to catalyse discussions during a two-day symposium, with the aim of delivering one or more solutions to this current and pressing issue.

Our conference explores new developments and novel approaches in algal phenomics, to address the challenges of high-throughput phenotyping and to identify opportunities in this fast emerging field.