Photosymbiosis team member and postdoctoral researcher Betty SANDS visited Genoscope (François Jacob Institute of Biology) in Évry in December 2025 to undertake collaborative work with the researcher Eric PELLETIER. The time was spent searching TaraOcean metagenomic and metatranscriptomic datasets to identify and extract reads corresponding to target symbiotic species.

In parallel, an improved functional annotation of the gene sets was carried out using Interproscan and KOFamScan. The resulting dataset will allow us to investigate metabolic exchange in symbiosis by examining expression patterns of genes across oceanic regions and environmental conditions such as photoperiod, depth, and nutrient availability. In addition to the research activities, the visit also included a tour of Genoscope’s high-throughput sequencing and laboratory facilities. The stay also provided valuable opportunities for interesting scientific discussions, strengthening existing links between the teams and the potential for future collaboration.

This research work has been carried out with funding from the ERC and the FRA-GOSEE of the CNRS.