The Symbiosis in Aquatic Systems Initiative is pleased to announce a new collaboration with the Wellcome Sanger Institute to sequence the genomes of 1,000 freshwater and marine organisms involved in aquatic symbioses where at least one partner is a microbe. The Aquatic Symbiosis Project seeks to provide the genomic foundations needed by scientists to answer key questions about the ecology and evolution of aquatic symbioses. The goals of this project are to create essential research infrastructure and to build community across aquatic symbiosis researchers. Phase One of the Aquatic Symbiosis Genomics project has linked the Sanger research team with four international teams of collaborators who bring their expert knowledge in symbiosis to the project. The four team leads are: Dr. Ute Hentschel Humeida (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Germany): Sponges as symbiont communities, Dr. Jose Victor Lopez (Nova Southeastern University, USA): Photosymbiosis in marine animals, Dr. Michael Sweet (University of Derby, UK): Coral symbiosis sensitivity to environmental change, Dr. John Archibald (Dalhousie University, Canada): Evolution of new symbioses in single-celled eukaryotes. Phase Two is now open for applicants to propose additional organisms for sequencing. For more information, including FAQs, the list of organisms currently in the sequencing queue, and a link to the application, please visit the Aquatic Symbiosis Project website. Applications are due November 1, 2020.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s Symbiosis in Aquatic Systems Initiative and the Simons Foundation Life Sciences Division are jointly soliciting proposals for research on the origin of the eukaryotic cell. In addition to seeking researchers who currently work in these areas, we hope to identify scientists and engineers who have not previously worked on these topics and who would bring novel perspectives, methods and technologies to these important areas of science. The deadline for submitting a proposal is September 30, 2019.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s Symbiosis in Aquatic Systems Initiative is solicitating pre-applications to advance development of experimentally tractable model systems in aquatic symbiosis. Additionally, we are seeking information about needs in model systems development through a related survey.  In addition to seeking researchers who currently work in these areas, we hope to identify scientists and engineers who have not previously worked on these topics and who would bring novel perspectives, methods and technologies to these important areas of science. The deadline for submitting a pre-application for the Symbiosis Model Systems funding call is August 8, 2019.

The Symbiosis in Aquatic Systems Initiative of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation is soliciting pre-applications for investigator awards. Each award will fund research in a single investigator’s laboratory. Our goal with the awards is to provide scientists with the resources and flexibility to pursue innovative, risky research that has high potential for significant conceptual and methodological advances in aquatic symbiosis. We anticipate investigators will generate new technologies, resources, theory, natural history and hypotheses to spark discovery in understanding aquatic organisms and their symbioses. We envision a vibrant cohort of investigators that serves as a source of ideas for the initiative, collaborates among peers, and moves the community towards a more comprehensive understanding how marine and freshwater organisms interact in symbiotic associations involving microbes. We anticipate awards encompassing one or more of three central themes: origins and evolution, mechanisms of symbiotic interactions, and/or ecology and natural history. We are interested in symbioses where at least one partner is a microbe and where the symbiosis takes place in a marine or freshwater environment. We anticipate the initiative will support approximately 12 scientists for five years (2020-2025) who represent both early and established career stages and include both current and emerging leaders in their fields. Investigators will convene at an annual symposium to share research findings and build connections across symbiosis researchers. Awards will range from approximately $200K-$400K/year in direct costs. Pre-application deadline: June 3, 2019.