Collaborative Symposium: Physiological Flexibility among Protists: Insights from studies of genes to ecosystems

原生生物是单细胞真核生物，表现出一系列特殊的生理特征、生态行为和营养模式。特别是，许多物种是混合营养生物，可以利用多种营养途径。由于这些生物既可以通过光自养固定碳，也可以通过异养消耗有机碳源，因此更好地了解它们的生理、遗传学和生态学对于我们了解水生生境中的营养循环是至关重要的。特别是，已知混合营养生物在极地地区很重要，并假设在营养模式之间切换的能力可能是经历光可获得性急剧季节变化的生态系统的一个关键特征。该项目将包括在国际原生动物学会议(ICOP XIV)上组织一次关于混合营养物的特别专题讨论会。将招募七名演讲者就混合营养遗传学、生态学、生理学和营养循环等主题发表演讲。这项活动将把来自多个分支学科的科学家聚集在一起，从而形成新的合作关系，规划新的研究方向。将做出特别努力，从传统上在科学界代表性较低的群体中招募个人。演讲者将被邀请向《真核微生物学杂志》提交关于其陈述工作的手稿，以增加本届会议的影响，超出与会者的范围。

Protists are single-celled eukaryotes that exhibit an extraordinary range of physiological traits, ecological behaviors and nutritional modes. In particular, many species are mixotrophs, and can use multiple nutritional pathways. As these organisms can both fix carbon through photoautotrophy and consume organic carbon sources through heterotrophy, a better understanding of their physiology, genetics and ecology is central to our knowledge of nutrient cycling in aquatic habitats. In particular, mixotrophs are known to be important in polar regions, and it has been hypothesized that the ability to switch between nutritional modes may be a critical trait in ecosystems that undergo dramatic seasonal changes in light availability. This project will involve the organization of a special symposium on mixotrophs at the International Congress on Protistology Meeting, (ICOP XIV). Seven speakers will be recruited to speak on topics ranging from mixotrophic genetics, ecology, physiology and nutrient cycling. This activity will bring scientists together from multiple subdisciplines, allowing new collaborations to be forged and new research directions to be planned. Special efforts will be made to recruit individuals from groups traditionally underrepresented in science. Speakers will be invited to submit manuscripts on their presented work to the Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology to increase the impact of this session beyond meeting participants.