Léa COMBES

Diversity and dynamics of eukaryotic parasites in lacustrine ecosystems : 

The development of high-throughput sequencing has allowed for a better understanding of the diversity of aquatic eukaryotic microbial communities, including a wide variety of parasites. However, some groups of parasites, such as microsporidia (parasites of vertebrates and invertebrates, including humans), remain poorly studied due to their genetic divergence from other eukaryotes. Recent studies conducted in the laboratory have revealed previously unknown diversity of microsporidia in aquatic ecosystems. These parasites could have a significant impact on aquatic trophic networks due to their wide range of hosts. Human microsporidia have also been found in lake water columns. However, there is limited information on the long-term temporal dynamics of microsporidia and the host-parasite interactions they are involved in within aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, the objective of this project is to study the temporal dynamics of microsporidia using paleogenomic approaches and decipher their interactions with hosts at the base of the trophic network (protists, micro-zooplankton).