Emiliania huxleyi in the Genomic Era
Bethan M. Jones, Mónica Rouco, M. Débora Iglesias-Rodriguez and Kimberly H. Halsey
from: Microalgae: Current Research and Applications (Edited by: Maria-Nefeli Tsaloglou). Caister Academic Press, U.K. (2016) Pages: 73-106.
Abstract
Emiliania huxleyi is a globally abundant coccolithophore species that plays a significant biogeochemical role in modern oceans. The species has become an important model organism, with extensive research conducted on its responses to carbon chemistry, light regimes and nutrient dynamics. In the years since the seminal review on E. huxleyi by Paasche (2002), the field of microbial oceanography has been revolutionized by the increasing application of genomic and post-genomic technology. Paasche intended his review as a starting point for future molecular studies on coccolithophores, a field that in 2002 was described as "barely in its infancy". This chapter revisits Paasche (2002), using the review as a framework to describe how our knowledge of E. huxleyi has progressed since these tools have become more commonly applied. The same key areas that Paasche addressed are focused upon, namely how the morphology, diversity, life cycle and physiology of this species affects calcification. This is used to provide avenues for future research and suggest directions to help answer many of the questions still posed regarding the biology of this globally important yet seemingly enigmatic organism read more ...
