Prof. Nicole Dubilier, lead scientist of the symbiosis research group at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (MPI) and professor for microbial symbiosis at the University of Bremen, has been awarded one of the most generously endowed scientific awards in the European Union. The European Research Council has awarded her the ERC Advanced Grant in recognition of her research on the symbioses between the bacteria and mussels that inhabit the surroundings of volcanic springs in the depths of the ocean: The award is worth 2.5 million euros.

Nicole Dubilier explains her work:  “The discovery 35 years ago of the singular communities of mussels, worms and shrimps living around hydrothermal vents and so-called ‘black smokers’ on the ocean floor created a sensation. Back then, we thought it wasn’t possible for such diverse ecosystems to exist so far away from the light of the sun. We now know it is the symbioses between bacteria and animals that form the basis for such communities. The bacteria produce biomass from the energy-rich chemical compounds like the hydrogen sulfide and methane that issue from the deep-sea vents to provide their hosts with the nutriment they need.”

Direct link to press release on the homepage of the Max Planck Institute, http://www.mpi-bremen.de/en/Life_in_the_Deep_Sea.html