Better together

Instrumental Analytics / Bioorganic Analytics Group, Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemsitry, Universtiy of Jena

The research of PhD student Vera Nikitashina is all about the smallest marine inhabitants: phytoplankton. The mostly unicellular organisms of this community perform photosynthesis, i.e. they produce biomass from carbon dioxide by using light as energy source. This puts them at the basis of the food chain and  makes them extremely important for the marine ecosystems. The microalgae, which can be seen here as yellow dots, have teamed up with a slightly larger inhabitant, a foraminifera, which provides a shell and therefore protection. It is one example of interaction of different organisms in plankton, which Vera Nikitashina is studying in more detail with chemical analyses.

© Vera Nikitashina

Better together

Instrumental Analytics / Bioorganic Analytics Group, Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemsitry, Universtiy of Jena

The research of PhD student Vera Nikitashina is all about the smallest marine inhabitants: phytoplankton. The mostly unicellular organisms of this community perform photosynthesis, i.e. they produce biomass from carbon dioxide by using light as energy source. This puts them at the basis of the food chain and  makes them extremely important for the marine ecosystems. The microalgae, which can be seen here as yellow dots, have teamed up with a slightly larger inhabitant, a foraminifera, which provides a shell and therefore protection. It is one example of interaction of different organisms in plankton, which Vera Nikitashina is studying in more detail with chemical analyses.

© Vera Nikitashina