M2C2-2025: ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Marine Microbial

Chemical

Communication​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

17-20 March 2025

NIOZ – Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research

Texel, The Netherlands

Conference overview

Microorganisms produce and receive chemical signals, known as “infochemicals,” which provide functional information on trophic status, cell fate, and life history. These chemicals play a key role in microbial interactions in the ocean, mediating processes like predator-prey dynamics, allelopathy, mate selection, and host-pathogen relationships. Infochemicals can harm target cells, act as communication signals, offer chemical defense, or serve as nutrients.

Recent studies highlight the significant impact of these microscale interactions on ecosystem dynamics, including nutrient and carbon cycles. Advances in analytical chemistry, fluid dynamics, cell biology, and “omics” provide new opportunities to explore how chemical signaling shapes aquatic microbial populations and affects nutrient flow in the marine environment.

This conference builds on the “M2C2 – Marine Microbial Chemical Communication” webinar series (2021-2024) and will bring together experts from various disciplines to discuss recent progress and challenges in marine microbial chemical ecology. The aim is to share knowledge, address technological bottlenecks, and foster collaborations that will advance the field.

The conference will be divided into three main topics: microbial interactions at the (1) cellular level, (2) population and community level, and (3) ecosystem level. It will include 10 invited speakers, approximately 20 selected talks and 2 poster sessions.

Organising Committee

• Guy Schleyer

  NIOZ – Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research

• Assaf Vardi

  Weizmann Institute of Science

• Corina Brussaard

  NIOZ – Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research

• Julia Kubanek

  Georgia Institute of Technology

• Georg Pohnert

  Friedrich-Schiller University Jena

• Daniella Schatz

  Weizmann Institute of Science

• Kristen Whalen

  Haverford College

Coordinators:

• Nina Aalberts

  NIOZ – Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research

• Laura Peters

  NIOZ – Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research

Contact us:

• meetings@nioz.nl | guy.schleyer@nioz.nl

Contributors