Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship for Florian Mattenberger
Florian Mattenberger, a postdoctoral researcher at the GMI in the group of Nick Irwin, receives a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship of the European Commission.
The fellowship will support Mattenberger’s research on the mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer – the process by which new genes are acquired from a different species rather than from an organism’s parents. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is both frequent and extensively studied in bacteria, however, HGT is also known to occur in multicellular organisms, such as plants and animals. "So far, we know little about how genes are transferred to eukaryotes and how they have become so important for their evolution” Mattenberger explained.
Bacteria are the source of most genes acquired through horizontal gene transfer. For a bacterial gene to function in a eukaryotic cell, these genes must be integrated into the genome and adapted to a more complex regulatory environment. However, the molecular processes underlying this reworking remain poorly understood. “We can use phylogenetic studies to trace the origin of a transferred gene, but it’s like analyzing an archeological archive – so much has happened, and so long ago, that it’s hard to reconstruct the exact steps of a transferred gene,” Mattenberger noted.
In his project, Florian Mattenberger, a postdoc in the group of Nick Irwin, will replicate horizontal gene transfer in a laboratory setting. “I will introduce a canonical bacterial gene into the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. This will allow me to investigate how the algal cell reworks the bacterial gene in a eukaryotic context.” Mattenberger aims to uncover the patterns governing gene insertion and regulation in eukaryotes. “For the first time, we will be able to observe horizontal gene transfer as it happens, rather than studying its traces in the past.”
Ultimately, Mattenberger’s project seeks to advance our understanding of horizontal gene transfer and the process that unfolds after an organism acquires a foreign gene. Insights into how cells integrate and regulate transferred genes could help scientists improve the design of transgenic organisms.
During his PhD in Biodiversity and Evolutive Biology at the University of Valencia, Mattenberger studied how duplicated genes and genetic diversity of populations contribute to biological innovation and evolutionary adaptation. In 2024, Mattenberger joined the lab of Nick Irwin at the GMI as a postdoctoral researcher.
“I’m grateful for the support by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship, which will help me to advance in my career and contribute to the development of our young research group,” Mattenberger said. “Being part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral network will also allow me to network with other fellows and exchange our knowledge and experiences.”
The European Commission’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship Program awards two-year postdoctoral fellowships to outstanding scientists working in research institutions in EU member states to support their careers and foster excellence in research.
The selection process evaluates the applicant's achievements and the scientific quality of the project and the host laboratory. The process is highly competitive, with less than 15 percent of applicants receiving a fellowship. On top of a monthly stipend, the fellowship provides research and travel allowances, and the program organizes a yearly meeting.