Diversity, Ecology and Evolution of Microbes
We have broad interest in different questions on the ecology and evolution of microbial life, from the origin of microbial diversity and its evolution since life emerged on Earth to the role of microbial communities in biogeochemical cycles. We combine complementary approaches including the exploration of extant prokaryotic and eukaryotic diversity by metabarcoding analysis, metagenomics, single cell ‘omics’ and phylogenomics to infer microbial functions and to elucidate the order of emergence of the different microbial groups and unravel their early evolutionary history. We have also broad interdisciplinary questions, in particular at the biology-geology interface.
The DEEM team, initially co-founded by Puri Lopez-Garcia and David Moreira, is one of the seven research components in the Ecology, Systematics and Evolution unit (UMR 8079, CNRS – Université Paris-Saclay – AgroParisTech) now at the IDEEV site (Gif-sur-Yvette, France).
Multiple adaptations of archaea to hypersaline environments, some archaea like it salty!
Exploring interactions in microbial communities from Salar de Huasco, a polyextreme Andean ecosystem
Looking for the closest Asgard archaeal ancestry of eukaryotes
A new thermophilic cyanobacterium of the order Gloeomargaritales, the closest known relatives of plastids
If you are a motivated graduate or PhD student or a young postdoc interested in our research activities and wishing to develop an original research project, please do not hesitate to contact us for an internship, a prospective position or to prepare an application to funding agencies.
Current open positions
Technician in bioinformatics and metagenomics
New postdoc positions will be announced soon
March 2023 - North of Chile: A new expedition to high altitude salt flats (‘salares’) and hot springs in the North of the Chilean Altiplano (Region de Atacama).
August 2022 - North of Canada: We have sampled thermokarstic lakes formed by the degradation of the permafrost to study greenhouse gas fluxes related to microbial acitity.
March 2022 - North of Chile: For several weeks, we have been sampling high altitude salt flats (‘salares’) and hot springs in the North of the Chilean Altiplano (Region de Antofagasta).
September 2021 - Iceland: a tour to collect diverse samples from hot springs across the island.
One year already since our March 2023 DEEM expedition to the fascinating high altitude salt flats and hot springs of the Chilean altiplano. Unique microbial ecosystems sadly threatened by the exploitation of lithium in the name of "green" (?) energy
2024 - It's been two years now since the DEEM team moved to the new IDEEV building at the Saclay plateau, an extended area of the Université Paris-Saclay - a nice place to do research
Luna Marin starts her PhD on microbialite formation. Welcome!
Address :
DEEM team - Unité d’Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution
Site IDEEV
12 rue 128, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Phone: +33 (0)1 69 15 76 08
