Not All Children Are the Same: Differences in the Microbiome Assembly During Early Development of Seaweeds.

Distinct early microbiomes form within the first week of development in three macroalgae species, with 16S rRNA sequencing revealing significant community shifts.

• Why it matters: Understanding microbiome assembly in macroalgae is crucial because microbial symbionts influence algal growth and development, yet the mechanisms behind their early acquisition are not well known.
• What they did: The study used laboratory outgrowth experiments and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to compare microbiome development in Ulva australis, Hormosira banksii, and Delisea pulchra, identifying stage-specific bacterial taxa and inheritance patterns.
• The result: Findings show diverse strategies of microbiome assembly, with some species filtering environmental bacteria and others retaining inherited microbes, enabling macroalgae to tailor their early microbiomes for development.