Open Academy Lecture by Professor Carlos Pedrós-Alió, National Center for Biotechnology (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. The lecture is hosted by the Academy’s class for biosciences.
The ocean is the largest ecosystem in the world and is ruled by microorganisms. There are 10 to the 12 bacterial and archaeal cells but we do not know to how many species do they belong. Marine microorganisms control several mechanisms to regulate climate such as the biological carbon pump or the dimethyl sulfide cycle. They also influence the geology of the Planet. Moreover, each cells has a genome with between 1000 and 10000 genes with an enormous potential for useful genes. The microbial ocean, however, remains mostly unknown to most people, just as science in general does. We need to find ways to provide tools to people so they can discriminate between science and pseudoscience.
I hold a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA) and I am research professor at the National Center for Biotechnology (CSIC) in Madrid. I am member of the American Academy of Microbiology. My scientific interest is to understand the ecology and diversity of microorganisms. I am also interessed in birdwatching, writing, biology of spirituality, and relationships between art and science.
The lecture is free of charge and open to the public. Registration is not needed.
Contact
Program Coordinator
program@kva.se