Skip to content

Promoting a mechanistic understanding of the chemical currencies in marine microbial ecosystems in the context of a changing planet and through increased participation in ocean sciences

MEET THE TEAM
UPDATES
C-CoMP Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Nicole Lynn-Bell (University of Florida) gathers water collected from the Atlantic ocean to be used in sulfur isotope experiments. Photo credit: Lisa Coe, University of Florida.
The second cohort of C-CoMP Bridge-to-PhD Fellows stand in front of the R/V Atlantic Explorer on their trip to Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) for their Research Week Experience. Photo credit: Victoria Centurino, WHOI.
Photo credit: Krista Longnecker, WHOI.
C-CoMP group photo (including in-person and remote members) taken during the 2023 C-CoMP Annual Meeting. Original photo taken by Jayne Doucette (WHOI) and modified by Laura Gray (WHOI) to include a clearer image of remote attendees.
Natalie Graham, Bridge-to-PhD Fellow in the Kujawinski lab at WHOI, collects filtrate samples for Benzoyl-Chloride Derivitization as part of the C-CoMP Bermuda Insitute of Ocean Science (BIOS) research week in March of 2024. Photo credit: Natalie Graham, WHOI.
The group wraps up the Ocean Genes CURE planning meeting on the University of Georgia campus.
The R/V Atlantic Explorer (AE) typically resides next to BIOS in Ferry Reach, a waterway adjacent to BIOS that leads to the ocean. The AE takes frequent trips out to sea to collect samples for the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series (BATS) program. Image credit: Laura Gray, WHOI.
Click the picture to learn more about the Ruegeria pomeroyi digital microbe.
The biogeochemistry autonomous underwater vehicle Clio is prepared for launch by Mike Jakuba and Eric Chan who work on the R/V Atlantic Explorer. Image credit: Mak Saito, WHOI.
Katie Holloran (MIT/WHOI Joint Program PhD candidate within the Kujawinski lab) samples seawater from Vineyard Sound. Photo credit: Erin McParland, WHOI.
Gretchen Swarr, a Research Associate in the Kujawinski lab at WHOI, prepares metabolite extracts for liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Photo credit: Krista Longnecker, WHOI.
Co-cultures of model marine phytoplankton and bacteria serve as experimental systems for metabolite exchange. Image credit: Frank Ferrer-González.
A chain of the diatom genus Thalassiosira with a green marker of enzyme activity. The Dyhrman Lab, Columbia University.
Extracellular metabolite extracts from surface seawater (contained in vials with blue and white caps) are loaded into the mass spectrometer prior to analysis. Image credit: Laura Gray, WHOI.

Mission

The Center for Chemical Currencies of a Microbial Planet (C-CoMP) leverages recent advances in analytical and data sciences, incorporates new ocean sampling technologies and an open-science framework, and engages scientists, educators, and policy-makers who bring a diversity of expertise, experiences, and viewpoints to bear on promoting a deeper understanding and appreciation of the chemicals and microbial processes that underpin ocean ecosystems and other microbiomes that affect our daily life.

Visit our About webpage to learn more!

Recent Updates

Blog posts

DEI / DEI blog series / Education / Meetings

How to mentor early career researchers in making and presenting posters

September 27, 2024
Education / Experiential Learning / Field work

Students set sail as part of the University of Florida short course on Microbial Life in the Oceans

DEI / DEI blog series / Meetings

Considerations in choosing an inclusive conference location

Connect with C-CoMP

#MTTM

Ella Claire Walsh is a PhD candidate and member of Laura O’Dwyer’s research group @bostoncollege. Ella Claire is examining barriers to fostering ocean science literacy in US K12 classrooms.

Her collaborations within C-CoMP have given her a deep appreciation for how marine chemistry and microbes impact our everyday lives and future. She hopes that her work will inform education policy and initiatives as well as advance C-CoMP’s goal of promoting an ocean literate society.

#oceanliteracy #stemeducation #k12 #classrooms #oceanography #oceanscience #education #broadeningparticipation #diversityinstem

Open
#MTTM Ella Claire Walsh is a PhD candidate and member of Laura O’Dwyer’s research group @bostoncollege. Ella Claire is examining barriers to fostering ocean science literacy in US K12 classrooms. Her collaborations within C-CoMP have given her a deep appreciation for how marine chemistry and microbes impact our everyday lives and future. She hopes that her work will inform education policy and initiatives as well as advance C-CoMP’s goal of promoting an ocean literate society. #oceanliteracy #stemeducation #k12 #classrooms #oceanography #oceanscience #education #broadeningparticipation #diversityinstem

Team work makes the dream work! Another fantastic time-lapse of Dr. Erin McParland and Dr. Krista Longnecker working together in a feat of coordination to complete Benzoyl Chloride Derivatization on marine metabolites at sea on the @rvatlanticexplorer!

It is challenging to measure marine metabolites due to the amount of salt in seawater and the chemical complexity and variety of the metabolites that are present. Benzoyl Chloride Derivatization is a method used to make it easier to separate amine- and alcohol-containing metabolites from seawater, increasing the ability to detect and measure metabolites containing these functional groups.

If you are interested in learning more about this Derivatization method for marine metabolites, check out Widner et al. 2021 in the journal Analytical Chemistry!

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.analchem.0c03769

#fieldworkfriday #rvatlanticexplorer #marinemetabolites #metabolites #exometabolomics #marinemicrobes #phytoplankton #primaryproduction #carbon #carboncycling #teamscience #oceanography #oceandecade #oceanliteracy #integratedscience #scienceandtechnology

Open
Team work makes the dream work! Another fantastic time-lapse of Dr. Erin McParland and Dr. Krista Longnecker working together in a feat of coordination to complete Benzoyl Chloride Derivatization on marine metabolites at sea on the @rvatlanticexplorer! It is challenging to measure marine metabolites due to the amount of salt in seawater and the chemical complexity and variety of the metabolites that are present. Benzoyl Chloride Derivatization is a method used to make it easier to separate amine- and alcohol-containing metabolites from seawater, increasing the ability to detect and measure metabolites containing these functional groups. If you are interested in learning more about this Derivatization method for marine metabolites, check out Widner et al. 2021 in the journal Analytical Chemistry! https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.analchem.0c03769 #fieldworkfriday #rvatlanticexplorer #marinemetabolites #metabolites #exometabolomics #marinemicrobes #phytoplankton #primaryproduction #carbon #carboncycling #teamscience #oceanography #oceandecade #oceanliteracy #integratedscience #scienceandtechnology

C-CoMP in the news

FEBRUARY 13, 2024
ASLO honors Elizabeth B. Kujawinski with the 2024 G. Evelyn Hutchinson Award
WHOI News Release

JANUARY 17, 2024
Digital Microbe: A genome-informed data integration framework for collaborative research on emerging model organisms
preLights

JUNE 20, 2023
Research Week Opens the World of Oceanography for C-CoMP Students
BIOS Currents Newsletter

JANUARY 10, 2023
Bridge-to-PhD program at WHOI opens doors for new scientists
Oceanus

C-CoMP Director Dr. Elizabeth Kujawinski stands on a stage at the ASLO Ocean Sciences Meeting in February 2024 to present her award speech for the 2024 G. Evelyn Hutchinson award.
Photo credit: Krista Longnecker, WHOI.

C-CoMP Fellowships

Faculty Fellowship

Postdoctoral Fellowship

Bridge-to-PhD Fellowship

Science and Education Themes

Education

Education & Diversity

Chemical-Currencies

Chemical currencies

Chemical-Network

Chemical-microbial networks

earth

Feedbacks to climate

C-CoMP Institutions are depicted in the map above.

Award Information and Disclaimer

 

C-CoMP is a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center (Award # 2019589) that is based at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed on this website are those of C-CoMP and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.