XLI CICLO | Carrus Meryam

I hold a Master’s degree in Experimental Biology and Bioinformatics and I am currently a PhD student in Ecology and Sustainable Management of Environmental Resources. My research focuses on microalgae and their potential role in climate change mitigation, with particular attention to the molecular
mechanisms involved in CO₂ capture. My doctoral project is based on the analysis of genomic and transcriptomic data to investigate gene regulation, carbon-related metabolic pathways, and functional responses associated with carbon fixation in microalgae. I apply bioinformatic approaches to high-throughput sequencing data, including differential gene
expression analysis and functional annotation. During my PhD, I aim to further strengthen my skills in bioinformatics and integrative data analysis, combining ecological, molecular, and computational perspectives. My research interests lie at the interface of ecology,
molecular biology, and bioinformatics, with the long-term goal of contributing to sustainable and environmentally oriented biotechnological applications.

This PhD project investigates the molecular mechanisms underpinning CO₂ capture in microalgae through an integrated comparative genomics and transcriptomics approach. Atmospheric CO₂ increase is driving the search for sustainable sequestration strategies, and microalgae represent promising candidates due to their high photosynthetic efficiency and adaptability to extreme conditions. The work will
combine high-quality genomes from diverse taxonomic groups with de novo transcriptomes of non‑model species to identify conserved and species‑specific gene families associated with photosynthesis, carbon transport and stress responses. Comparative analyses of orthogroups and gene family expansions, coupled with functional annotation, will be used to reconstruct evolutionary trajectories linked to efficient carbon fixation. Public RNA‑seq datasets and new de novo assemblies will be analysed to characterize differential gene expression and alternative splicing under varying CO₂ and light regimes, using state‑of‑the‑art pipelines for alignment, quantification and functional enrichment. Overall, this project aims to generate new
knowledge and molecular markers of adaptive responses to elevated CO₂, providing a framework for exploiting aquatic photosynthetic organisms in climate change mitigation strategies.

Palomba M. Rodriguez-Fernandez V.,  Aco Alburqueque R., Carrus M., Marcer F., Marchiori E., Santoro M., Castrignanò T., Canestrelli D., & Mattiucci S.(2025). Multiple Blastocystis subtypes in Mediterranean marine
turtles and cetaceans by amplicon-based NGS. Food and Waterborne Parasitology. 41:e00307.