Bi-cycle Studying the lifecycle of the brown alga Ectocarpus siliculosus

One of the fundamental characteristics of a living organism is its lifecycle. The lifecycle corresponds to a wide range of phenomena, including processes linked to development, reproduction and the interaction between genes and environment. Yet, in spite of their fundamental importance, these cycles remain relatively poorly understood.

The object of the BI-CYCLE project is to improve understanding of the functioning of the cycles of the brown alga Ectocarpus. Brown algae are characterised by a huge diversity of cycles and therefore afford a material of choice for study.

The results expected should provide important information about how the cycle is regulated and how it is implemented at molecular level. Field studies will concentrate on the functioning of the lifecycle in natural populations. When cultivated in vitro, Ectocarpus displays hugely complex reproduction cycles, leading to the development of parthenogenetic (single-parent reproduction) individuals in particular.

In addition, the study will add to the collection of strains held at the Roscoff marine research and teaching centre. The different strains, which will be characterised by their genotype and their reproductive cycle and which will be representative of the various species and populations examined, will be used to improve understanding of cycle biodiversity in Ectocarpus.