Sabrina Rosset

Postdoctoral Researcher

My Research

I am a biochemist and use mass spectrometry to study the metabolomes of coral and their symbiotic

dinoflagellates. I am particularly specialised in lipidomics, the study of diverse fat molecules that

function as structural components of cell membranes, in the storage of cellular energy or as

signalling molecules. In my recent research I was interested in elucidating how the synthesis of

specific metabolites mediates the host-symbiont interaction and how this chemical crosstalk affects

symbiosis stability and defines host-symbiont compatibility. With my current research I aim to

improve our understanding of how the biochemical composition of the coral holobiont underpins

varying capacities of individual coral colonies to withstand stress induced by increasing global water

temperatures. I hope that this research will contribute to improving the practices used to conserve

and restore coral reefs.

Education and Experience

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship – Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand 2019-2021

Postdoc – National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Taiwan 2017-2018

PhD – University of Southampton, UK 2012-2016

BSc in Biomedical Science – University of Southampton, UK 2009-2012                             

Publications

Ashley I. A., Kitchen S. A., Gorman L. M., Grossman A. R., Oakley C. A., Sugget D. J., Weis V. M., Rosset S. L., Davy S. K. (2022) Genomic conservation and putative downstream functionality of the phosphatidylinositol signalling pathway in the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis. Frontiers in Microbiology. 13: 1094255. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1094255

Nitschke M.R., Rosset S.L., Oakley C.A., Gardner S.G., Camp E.F., Suggett D.J., Davy S.K. (2022) Resolving the diversity and ecology of cnidaria-symbiotic Symbiodiniaceae: a trait-based review, Advances in Marine Biology. 92, 55-127. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.amb.2022.07.001

McRae C.J., Keshavmurthy S., Meng P-J., Rosset S.L., Huang W-B., Chen C.A., Tung-Yung Fan T-Y., Côté I.M. (2022) Variable responses to chronic and acute elevated temperature of three coral species from reefs with contrasting thermal regimes. Marine Biology. 169 (7), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-022-04071-6

Chen H-K., Rosset S.L., Wang L-H., Chen C-S. (2021) The characteristics of host lipid body biogenesis during coral-dinoflagellate endosymbiosis. PeerJ. 9:e11652. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11652

Rosset S. L., Oakley C. A., Ferrier-Pagès C., Sugget D. J., Weis V. ,M. Davy S. K. (2021) The molecular language of the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis. Trends in Microbiology. 29 (4), 320-333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2020.08.005

Rosset S. L., Koster G., Brandsma J., Hunt A.N., Postle A.D., D’Angelo C. (2019) Lipidome analysis of Symbiodiniaceae reveals possible mechanisms of heat stress tolerance in reef coral symbionts. Coral Reefs. 38, 1241–1253. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-019-01865-x

Rosset S. L., Wiedenmann J., Reed A.J., D’Angelo C. (2017) Phosphate deficiency promotes coral bleaching and is reflected by the ultrastructure of symbiotic dinoflagellates. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 118(1-2), 180-187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.02.044

Rosset S. L., D’Angelo C., Wiedenmann J. (2015). Ultrastructural biomarkers in symbiotic algae reflect the availability of dissolved inorganic nutrients and particulate food to the reef coral holobiont. Frontiers in Marine Science. 2, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2015.00103

Updated April 2023