1st PHABB workshop in Roscoff: identification of algal pathogens

Over the course of the week, doctoral students, researchers, and representatives from both academic and industrial associated partners came together for a rich program of scientific exchange. The workshop featured lectures, hands-on sampling activities during the exceptionally low tides along the Roscoff coastline, laboratory activities and dynamic discussions focused on (micro)algae and their pathogens.

The event fostered meaningful connections across disciplines and sectors, laying the groundwork for future collaboration within the PHABB network.

Workshop program:

Day 1

Morning: Lectures

Claire Gachon, Spotlight on algal diseases, My Seaweed Looks Weird, pathogen discovery

Marianne Verberne, Presentation of HORTIMARE, professional trajectory since PhD 

Afternoon: Field Sampling: seaweed biology, taxonomy, ecology. Hunting for seaweed and their parasites in the intertidal. With the expert guidance of Dr Akira Peters: owner and director of BEZHIN ROSKO, a SME specialized in Research and services on marine macroalgae.

Day 2

Morning: Boat Sampling: plankton sampling on the research vessel Neomysis. Demonstration of sampling techniques at controlled depths using Niskin Bottles and Plankton nets. Sampling will be performed at two different depths, in two contrasting locations:  the offshore sampling at the ASTAN Somlit site and the Penzé river estuary.  

Afternoon: practicals: Handling and preparation macroalgal and microalgal for microscopy, hunting for seaweed and microalgal parasites.

Day 3

Morning: practicals, staining techniques and microscopy, laboratory isolation and maintenance of microalgal pathosystems

Afternoon: Lectures

Pedro Murúa, Parasites and aquaculture in Latin America

Gabriel Montecinos, Brown algal cultivation and breeding, control of life cycles

Aurélie Chambouvet, Thraustochytrids and apicomplexan parasites of bivalves 

Madalena Mendes, Presentation of ALGAplus, professional trajectory

Day 4

Morning: Lectures

Nicolas Henry, Introduction to Metabarcoding

Charlotte Berthelier, Metabarcoding workflow (Nextflow nf-core/ampliseq)

Laure Guillou, The Protist Ribosomal Reference (PR2) Database 

Acknowledgements:

• Station Biologique de Roscoff, namely Yacine Badis and Damien Landreau 
• Neomysis research vessel
• Co-funding by UKRI and by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.”