Paula Salgado (CIIMAR) will present a seminar entitled "The Good, the Bad and the Microbe: understanding the interaction of marine nitrogen and organic sulfur cycles" at 12 pm at CIIMAR facilities.

With today’s concerns regarding effects of climate change on oceans ecosystems functioning, it’s crucial to comprehend the dynamics between marine microbial and biogeochemical processes. Our team discovered a new interaction mediated by microorganisms whereby the organic sulfur compound dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) degradation, that promotes emissions of climate cooling dimethylsulfide (DMS), inhibits the final step of the denitrification pathway, releasing the climate warming nitrous oxide (N2O), a strong greenhouse gas. Our team’s research aims to characterize this newly discovered interaction at different levels of biological complexity, to better understand the environmental significance and the potential impact on global climate.