Wheeler Group

A new study has shed light on the evolution of underwater forests, which play a crucial role in capturing and storing carbon dioxide and the resilience of coastal ecosystems. An international team of researchers, led by the CNRS and the CEA and funded by the program “France Génomique”, has analysed 60 new genomes of brown … Read more

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient in the human diet and it has been long known that plants are an excellent source of this important antioxidant. Prolonged absence of vitamin C in the diet leads to scurvy, a disease prevalent amongst early marine explorers who had little access to fresh fruit and vegetables. The biosynthetic … Read more

The ocean contains a widespread group of single-celled algae called diatoms which play a significant role in the global carbon cycle.  As microscopic photosynthesising organisms (phytoplankton), diatoms transform light energy from the sun into chemical energy, fixing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen (primary production). Diatoms are responsible for up to 40% of marine primary productivity … Read more