Juan Pierella

PostDoc, CNRS, France

KEYWORDS

Phytoplankton
Land plants
Photosynthesis
Nitrogen fixation
Iron

Short BIO

I am a postdoctoral researcher at l’école normale supérieure in Paris, France, in the group of plant and algal genomics led by Prof. Chris Bowler. During my career, I have been studying the responses of primary producers towards the environment. I started with a focus on land plants during my PhD, which was carried out in Argentina with a part in Germany. In the last five years working in the Tara Ocean consortium, I moved the focus to marine phytoplankton and nitrogen fixers. My studies imply the integration of molecular and high-throughput imaging data. In addition to research, I have been involved in teaching and in writing popular science articles.

Role in AtlantECO

I am collaborating on the AtlantECO project by studying the adaptations and acclimations of marine phytoplankton. This is important because phytoplankton are the base of marine food wells and are involved in the sequestration of carbon dioxide, so it is very relevant to understand and predict their responses to climate change.

AtlantECO Results

I have been modeling phytoplankton responses towards iron, a nutrient that limits phytoplankton growth in vast areas of the ocean surface. This is carried out by linking genes and transcripts to satellite remote senses and biochemical models.