C-CoMP is convening a session at the 2023 ASLO Aquatic Sciences meeting held in Palma de Mallorca, Spain from June 4-9. Abstracts are due February 23, 2023 at midnight, Central Standard Time.The C-CoMP session is on Metabolites in the Chemical-Microbe Network (session SS116) and is described below.

If you are interested in submitting an abstract to this session, please visit the ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting 2023 website and follow the prompts to register and submit your abstract. Information about this session can also be found on the ASLO scientific sessions list under session identifier SS116.

Session Hosts:
Elizabeth Kujawinski, WHOI (ekujawinski@whoi.edu)
Mary Ann Moran, University of Georgia (mmoran@uga.edu)
Sonya Dyhrman, Columbia University (sdyhrman@ldeo.columbia.edu)

Session Description:
The chemical – microbe network underpins ecosystem structure-function relationships and biogeochemical cycling in aquatic systems. The metabolites of this network are organic molecules produced during biochemical reactions within organisms that cross all taxonomic levels in aquatic systems. They are analytically challenging to quantify due to their heterogeneous chemical nature and their dilute concentrations in aquatic systems relative to background organic matter. Nevertheless, metabolites play critical roles in determining the functions of aquatic microbiomes, serving as growth substrates, co-factors and/or infochemical signals within microbial consortia. Despite the central role of the chemical-microbe network in the aquatic carbon cycle, our knowledge of metabolites and their dynamics in various aquatic systems remains poor. This session invites presentations on all aspects of metabolite cycling in aquatic systems in laboratory, field and/or modeling investigations. We seek studies that explore the mechanisms behind production of metabolites by autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms, as well as empirical observations of metabolite consumption and numerical modeling investigations of predicted metabolite production and consumption. We are particularly interested in studies that consider shifts in metabolite dynamics and the resiliency of the chemical-microbe network under changing planetary conditions. Analytical method developments that expand the lexicon of metabolites in aquatic studies are also welcome.

Key words: metabolomics, microbial interactions, analytical chemistry, metabolic modeling

Flyer for ASLO Session SS116: Metabolites in the Chemical-Microbe Network.