In a nutshell
Oil spills are threatening the pristine Arctic and many natural remedies such as bacterial degradation are being investigated to mitigate future impacts. But can we do something to boost microbial degradation of oil spills? Oil-degrading bacteria are often in competition for resources with other bacteria in the environment, decreasing their efficiency. This study will investigate the role of bacteriophages – or phages – in dynamically controlling bacterial populations that are in direct competition with oil-degrading bacteria. If successful, the project will generate urgently needed fundamental knowledge on natural phage-host interactions in Arctic marine environments and will be key to targeted applications of phages to accelerate oil spill bioremediation in some of the world’s most vulnerable and extreme ecosystems.