Symbiotic associations in the world of cyanobacteria – popular science article

The last issue of Kosmos published a popular science article familiarizing readers with the extensive topic of symbioses formed by cyanobacteria. The article describes the symbiotic associations of cyanobacteria with algae (including diatoms and dinoflagellates), sponges, corals and sea squirts, as well as fungi, bryophytes and higher plants. The authors note the multitude and variety of aquatic and terrestrial organisms with which cyanobacteria interact and the fact that some of these interactions are of practical importance to humans. A good example is the fern Azolla sp., which is used as a "green" fertilizer due to the high content of nitrogen bound precisely thanks to the cooperation of the plant with cyanobacteria.

The article was written as a result of collaboration between scientists from our Institute (Adriana Kaczmarczyk and Elżbieta Cieślak) and the Institute of Plant Physiology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, who in their research deal with topics related to the broadly understood biology of cyanobacteria.

Article (in Polish with an English summary):

Zieliński K.J., Kaczmarczyk A., Cieślak E., Ślesak I. 2021. Symbioza u cyjanobakterii. Kosmos 70: 697–710. DOI

Cultures of the cyanobacteria Geitlerinema sp.
Photo: Kamil Zieliński.