University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography associate professor, Roxanne Beinart, has been honored with a Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) Early Career Research Grant for study titled “Deciphering the Evolution, Cellular Biology, and Biogeochemistry of Symbioses in Anaerobic Eukaryotes.” The 108 awardees from 23 nations represent “only the most daring and truly pioneering” life science research, according to HFSP.
Deep sea snails are invertebrates that have evolved nutritional symbioses with bacteria 
GSO’s Dr. Roxanne Beinart
Beinart joins collaborators Filip Husnik from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University in Japan and Courtney Stairs from the Department of Biology at Lund University in Sweden. The intercontinentally collaborative research team will focus on examining the molecular nature of symbiotic relationships in eukaryotic (plants, animals, fungi) microorganisms, shedding light on the physical interactions and exchange of nutrients between cells.
HFSP Research Grants last for three years and on average, provide $400,000 USD per year.
Read the release from HFSP.
Learn more about Beinart’s project on page 14.