Evolutionary dynamics and population genomics of cyanobacterial blooms

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Cyanobacterial blooms occur in lakes worldwide, and almost yearly in many Quebec lakes. The dominant member of the bloom's microbial community is typically the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa, some strains of which produce toxins harmful to humans and livestock. Blooms can therefore pose a public health threat, and much research has gone into understanding the biology of bloom dynamics and toxin production. We know that blooms are more severe in lakes polluted with nitrogen- and phosphorus-rich fertilizers, but we still lack the ability to control blooms or predict whether they will be toxic. Like many microbes, Microcystis grow rapidly (at least during summer blooms) to large population sizes, generating genetically diverse populations that can respond rapidly to natural selection - meaning that they can evolve in real time, from year to year, or over the course of a summer bloom.