Carmen Elvira Rey Redondo successfully defended her doctoral thesis on November 29, 2024, marking a historic moment as the first PhD graduate from Yung’s research group.
Dr. Rey Redondo’s thesis presents comprehensive research on microbial communities in the South China Sea’s coastal waters. Her work combines traditional culture methods with cutting-edge multi-omics approaches to characterize marine microorganisms. A particular highlight was her discovery and characterization of a new species of marine algae, Mantoniella tinhauana, and its associated virus.
Let’s raise a toast to Dr. Carmen Elvira Rey Redondo and the Yung Lab team!
Our lab recently hosted Youngju Kim, a promising Master’s student from KAIST. Youngju works under Dr. Jaewook Myung, Charmaine’s collarborator. During his visit, Young immersed himself in our lab’s operations, learning sampling and subculturing techniques from Susan and Shara. He engaged in stimulating discussions with Wenqian and Yijin, potentially sparking future collaborations. The visit concluded with a dinner hosted by Professor Yung, leaving a positive lasting impression.
Wenqian Xu and Yangbing Xu recently showcased their cutting-edge research at the 2024 Conference on Genomics of Unicellular Eukaryotes (CGUE). Wenqian Xu’s poster, titled “Genome-Resolved Insight into the Diversity and Function of Small Marine Protists in Subtropical Waters,” offered a deep dive into the complex ecosystem of microscopic marine life. Her research utilizes advanced genomic techniques to unravel the mysteries of these tiny yet crucial organisms that play a vital role in oceanic food webs and global carbon cycling. Yangbing Xu’s presentation, “Reconstruction of eukaryotic genomes reveals the diversification and adaptation of cosmopolitan picophytoplankton Mamiellales,” focused on a specific group of widespread marine algae. By reconstructing their genomes, Yangbing’s work provides valuable insights into how these organisms have adapted to various marine environments across the globe. The conference served as an exceptional networking platform for these young researchers. They had the opportunity to engage with leading figures in the field, including Dr. Alex Worden, a renowned marine microbiologist and the postdoctoral supervisor of Charmaine. The duo also connected with Charmaine’s collaborators, Dr. Gwenael Piganeau, an expert in evolutionary genomics, and Dr. Sheree Yau, a specialist in marine viral ecology.
The 14th Asian Symposium of Microbial Ecology (ASME) convened from September 18-20, 2024, at the prestigious Environmental Research Building of National Taiwan University in Taipei. This event brought together leading researchers and experts in the field of microbial ecology from across Asia and beyond. One of the standout sessions of the symposium was the Eukaryotic Microbiome session, which featured cutting-edge research on eukaryotic microbes and their ecological roles. Charmaine shared her groundbreaking work on niche partitioning in the cosmopolitan eukaryotic picophytoplankton genus Bathycoccus.
We’re proud to announce that Wenqian Xu, PhD candidate, from our group has published a paper in Science of the Total Environment. The study, “Revealing the intricate temporal dynamics and adaptive responses of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes in the coastal South China Sea,” offers new insights into marine microbial communities.
Wenqian’s two-year study combined metagenomics and metatranscriptomics to explore how microbial communities adapt to environmental changes. The research uncovered seasonal shifts in microbial composition and analyzed 37 phytoplankton metagenome-assembled genomes.
Congratulations to Wenqian and the team on this significant contribution to marine microbiology!
A collaborative study between researchers from Yung lab and the GENOPHY group at the Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls has been accepted for publication in ISME Communications. The paper, titled “Unveiling Prasinovirus diversity and host specificity through targeted enrichment in the South China Sea,” sheds new light on the complex relationships between prasinoviruses and their algal hosts in marine ecosystems (https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycae109).
Using an innovative virus enrichment and sequencing method, our team successfully assembled 80 prasinovirus genomes from samples collected in the South China Sea. This research provides the first direct estimation of genome similarity correlating to host range with 94% accuracy.
Some key findings include:
Unexpected host-switching across diverse algal lineages
Detection of horizontal gene transfer between viruses and hosts
Evidence of ongoing coevolutionary dynamics through diversifying selection on viral proteins
This work not only expands our understanding of prasinovirus genomic diversity but also highlights the intricate evolutionary mechanisms shaping virus-host interactions in marine environments.
Congratulations to all the authors on this significant contribution to the field of marine microbial ecology!
We are delighted to announce that Ruixian has successfully defended her MPhil thesis titled ‘Unveiling Virus-Host Interactions in the Dynamic Marine Ecosystem of the Pearl River Estuary.’ Her research involved a comprehensive metagenomic analysis of samples, examining prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and viruses. Ruixian also made significant strides in predicting virus-host interactions based on genetic data. We eagerly anticipate the publication of her findings in a peer-reviewed journal. Ruixian’s academic journey doesn’t end here – she will be continuing her studies as a PhD student in the Yung Lab. We have every confidence in her ability to make further valuable contributions to the field of marine microbiology.
Congratulations, Ruixian, on this impressive achievement. We look forward to witnessing your continued growth and success in your doctoral studies!
We’re excited to announce that our manuscript “Hidden genomic diversity drives niche partitioning in a cosmopolitan eukaryotic picophytoplankton” has been published in The ISME Journal (https://doi.org/10.1093/ismejo/wrae163). Xu et al recovered and analyzed 37 genomes from the picophytoplankton genus Bathycoccus, revealing four distinct evolutionary clades with well-differentiated ecological niches and biogeographic distributions shaped by environmental factors. The study uncovered clade-specific genomic traits contributing to niche adaptation, highlighted temperature as a major driver of genome diversification, and identified potential cold-adaptation mechanisms in polar-adapted clades, providing insights into the microdiversity and adaptive evolution of this crucial marine eukaryotic phytoplankton.
Charmaine delivered an insightful presentation titled ‘Unraveling Virus-Phytoplankton Interactions Using Integrated Cultivation and Multi-omics Approaches’ at the School of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore. The invitation came from Prof. Steve Pointing, Charmaine’s former MPhil advisor from her time at the University of Hong Kong (HKU).
The visit provided a valuable opportunity to reconnect with Steve and meet his talented team members, Christaline and Thirumaran. Charmaine appreciated the chance to engage with these bright minds and explore their current research endeavors. Beyond the presentation, the visit facilitated discussions on potential collaborations with NUS scientists, opening doors for future joint research projects.
The day concluded with a delightful dinner hosted by Prof. Pointing. Charmaine expressed her gratitude for both the invitation and the delicious meal, which provided a fitting end to a productive and inspiring visit.
Yangbing delivered a compelling presentation titled ‘Exploring the Genomic Landscape: Diversity and Niche Adaptation in a Cosmopolitan Eukaryotic Picophytoplankton’ at the prestigious webinar series ‘Cutting-edge Research on Marine Science and Engineering’. This talk was part of Series II, which focused on ‘Marine Biodiversity: Adaptation, Evolution and Conservation’.
