In the JELLY-BIOME we will analyzing the microbiome of two model jellyfish species, one invasive and one native, characterized by differences in genetics, life history traits and seasonal dynamics in the northern Adriatic. 

Our approach will allow us to study the microbiome of similar, yet very diverse hosts to dissect how individual host traits affect its microbiome and vice versa. JELLY-BIOME will be the first comprehensive jellyfish microbiome study to catalog all components –fungi, bacteria, viruses – and cover different degrees of microbiome specialization – from host- species, -body compartment-, -health status and stage of bloom development. In this way, we will identify jellyfish ‘core’ vs. ‘variable’ microbiomes and distinguish major microbial traits and variables of the jellyfish meta-organism. We will couple our in-situ survey with manipulation experiments in the laboratory. Within JELLY-BIOME we will elucidate the host-microbiome interactions behind the boom-and-bust population dynamics at a molecular level in unprecedented details by embracing state-of-the-art metagenomics, (meta)transcriptomics and (meta)proteomics approaches, coupled with latest molecular biology and biochemistry tools to characterize individual host and microbial key enzymes and proteins involved in the host’s decay and death. The data generated in this study will be fed into our newly established jellyfish-microbiome database and curated to meet machine learning requirements. The research objectives of JELLY-BIOME will be achieved through specific tasks defined within 6 interconnected work packages.

The results of the project will deliver comprehensive knowledge on the role of the microbiota for the boom-and-bust dynamics of its host.