Margaux Python

Introduction

My project focuses on the toxic benthic cyanobacterium Microcoleus and lies at the interface between hydrogeology and microbiology. The project, entitled “Redefining the realized niche of Microcoleus spp. to improve accurate forecasting of proliferations”, is being carried out at the Centre for Hydrogeology and Geothermal Energy (CHYN) and the Microbiology Laboratory at the University of Neuchâtel. The aim is to gain a better understanding of the realized niche of Microcoleus – that is, the environmental conditions under which this cyanobacterium thrives in rivers – in order to better predict its blooms. To this end, the project combines fieldwork, environmental monitoring, microbiological approaches and modelling, in Switzerland and New Zealand.