Sophie Mazard

Dr Sophie L. Mazard , Research fellow

Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia

email: sophie.mazard-at-mq.edu.au / office: +61 2 9850 8181

Contents 1 Research Interests 2 Grants/Funding 3 Education 4 Experience 5 Honors/Awards/Societies 6 Qualifications 7 Publications

Research Interests

Marine sponges are a dominant and ubiquitous, but often overlooked, component of the sea bed. Sponges form symbioses with microbes that modulate their ability to maintain the health of temperate and tropical reef systems. A large proportion of species contains photosynthetic symbionts related to abundant free-living cyanobacteria and key primary producers of the genus Synechococcus. My aim is to determine the mutual benefits of the ‘photosymbiosis’ between sponges and cyanobacteria. This will provide a fundamental understanding of how this ancient animal-prokaryote symbiosis adapts and responds to environmental change and has direct relevance for coastal management practices. Fundamental knowledge of this inter-kingdom symbiosis is paramount to ensuring the stability of Australia's marine resources.

• phylogenetic relationships between common host and photosynthetic symbionts within contrasting sponge models
• genomics and transcriptomics of cyanobacterial symbionts in sponge models
• sponge aquaculture to assess the biochemical exchanges between host and symbionts, to examine the responses of the symbioses to environmental stressors

Grants/Funding

• MQRDG-2012. Starved for Nitrogen? Investigating the importance of microbial nitrogen fixation in Australian waters. Mazard, Ostrowski, Tetu, Paulsen. $49,700.
• ARC LIEF 2013. LE140100032: A facility for elemental and isotopic imaging of ultra-fine features for researchers in east Australia. Manefield et al. $1,000,000.

Education

• PhD From ecology to genomics: P acquisition and regulatory mechanisms in marine cyanobacteria mediate niche adaptation. Warwick University, UK. 2008
• Diplôme d’Ingénieur, Bioengineering in Biotechnology. (UNSW, Australia). Ecole Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg (ESBS), Louis Pasteur University, France. 2002
• MSc (DEA, Diploma of Applied Studies), Molecular and Cellular Biology Louis Pasteur University, France. 2002
• Advanced Technician Diploma, Brevet de Technicien Supérieur Biotechnology. ENCPB, France. 1999
• Baccalauréat S (Mathematics, Chemistry-Physics, Biology) France. 1997

Experience

• Sept 2011 - now : Research fellow. Macquarie University, Australia
• 2010 - 2011 : Post doctoral research fellow. Making and breaking DMS by salt marsh microorganisms. University of Warwick, UK.
• 2006 - 2010 : Post doctoral research fellow (SYNCHIPS). Defining the molecular basis of phylogenetic diversity in marine Synechococcus – a genomic approach. University of Warwick, UK
• 2005 : Marine Genomics Europe (EU FP7) Cyanobacterial genetics and Genomics
• 2004 - 2005 : MARGENES (EU FP6, 2002-2005) Development of cyanobacterial genetics techniques
• 2003 : Research Assistant: Molecular characterisation of cyanobacterial diazotroph population structure in the ocean. PICODIV EU project and RDF, University of Warwick, UK

Honors/Awards/Societies

• 2005-2006 : Marine Genomics Europe Postgraduate Award. (£12,000)
• 2005 : SGM President’s fund award for travel: Wenner-Gren Found. Int. Symp. Stockholm, Sweden. (£344)
• 2003 : NERC CASE PhD scholarship with Plymouth Marine Laboratory (2003-2006), (£3000)
• 2002 : Alsace Regional Council International Travel Grant. (€ )
• 2001 : French-German Youth Office Grant for training period in Germany.(€ )

Professional associations

• 2011-2013: member of the Phycological Society of America
• 2003-2010: member of the Society General Microbiology

Qualifications

• Quarantine Approved Premises for Accredited Persons (Classes 1-8) - current
• Senior first Aid certificate - current
• Open Water qualified diver - current
• DAN Oxygen provider certificate - 2012/13

Publications

• Published 12 peer-reviewed papers (+1 submitted) and 3 book chapters
• h-index = 10, total citations 913
• Presented >20 invited talks or conference presentations

- Refereed Journal Articles

• Varkey, D, S Mazard, M Ostrowski, SG Tetu, P Haynes and IT Paulsen. 2015. Effects of low temperature on tropical and temperate isolates of marine Synechococcus. ISME J in press.
• Humily F, D Marie, GK Farrant, F Partensky, S Mazard, M Perennou, K Labadie, JM Aury, P Wincker, AN Segui, DJ Scanlan and L Garczarek. 2014. Development of a targeted metagenomic approach to study a genomic region involved in light harvesting in marine Synechococcus. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 88:231-249.
• Mazard S, WH Wilson and DJ Scanlan. 2012. Dissecting the physiological response to P stress in marine Synechococcus isolates (Cyanophyceae). J. Phycol. 48:94-105.
• Mazard S, M Ostrowski, F Partensky and DJ Scanlan. 2012. Multilocus sequence analysis, taxonomic resolution and biogeography of marine Synechococcus. Environ. Microbiol. 14:372-386.
• Mella-Flores D and Mazard S (co first Author), F Humily, F Partensky, F Mahe, L Bariat, C Courties, D Marie, J Ras, R Mauriac, C Jeanthon, EM Bendif, M Ostrowski, DJ Scanlan and L Garczarek. 2011. Is the distribution of Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus ecotypes in the Mediterranean Sea affected by global warming? Biogeosciences 8:2785-2804.
• Mazard S, WH Wilson and DJ Scanlan. 2011. Dissecting the physiological response to P stress in marine Synechococcus isolates (Cyanophyceae). J Phycol. in press
• Pitt F, S Mazard, L Humphreys and DJ Scanlan. 2010. Functional characterisation of Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803 pst1 and pst2 gene clusters reveals a novel strategy for phosphate uptake in a freshwater cyanobacterium. J Bacteriol. 192:3512-3523.
• Ostrowski M, S Mazard, SG Tetu, K Phillippy, A Johnson, B Palenik, IT Paulsen and DJ Scanlan. 2010. PtrA is required for coordinate regulation of gene expression during phosphate stress in a marine Synechococcus. ISME J. 4:908-921.
• Scanlan DJ, M Ostrowski, S Mazard, A Dufresne, L Garczarek, WR Hess, AF Post, M Hagemann, IT Paulsen and F Partensky. 2009. Ecological Genomics of Marine Picocyanobacteria. MMBR 73:249-299.
• Dufresne A, M Ostrowski, DJ Scanlan, L Garczarek, S Mazard, BP Palenik, IT Paulsen, N Tandeau de Marsac, P Wincker, C Dossat, S Ferriera, J Johnson, AF Post, WR Hess and F Partensky. 2008. Unravelling the genomic mosaic of a ubiquitous genus of marine cyanobacteria. Genome Biology 9:R90.
• Zwirglmaier K, L Jardillier, M Ostrowski, S Mazard, L Garczarek, D Vaulot, F Not, R Massana, O Ulloa & DJ Scanlan. 2008. Global phylogeography of marine Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus reveals a distinct partitioning of lineages among oceanic biomes. Environ Microbiol. 10:147-61.
• Garczarek L, A Dufresne, S Rousvoal, NJ West, S Mazard, D Marie, H Claustre, P Raimbault, AF Post, DJ Scanlan and F Partensky. 2007. High vertical and low horizontal microdiversity of Prochlorococcus genotypes in the Mediterranean Sea in summer. FEMS Microbiol Ecol. 60:189-206.
• Mazard SL, N Fuller, K Orcutt, O Bridle & DJ Scanlan. 2004. PCR analysis of the distribution of unicellular cyanobacterial diazotrophs in the Arabian Sea. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70:7355-64.

- Scholarly Book Chapters

• Mazard S, M Ostrowski, L Garczarek, DJ Scanlan. 2011. A targeted metagenomic approach to determine the 'population genome' of marine Synechococcus. In Handbook of Molecular Microbial Ecology II: Metagenomics in Different Habitats. F. J. de Bruijn (Editor), pp301-307.
• Mazard S, M Ostrowski, R Holland, MV Zubkov and DJ Scanlan. 2012. Targeted genomics of flow cytometrically sorted cultured and uncultured microbial groups. In Methods in Environmental Microbiology. I. Paulsen and A. Holmes (Editors). Humana Press. (In press)
• Mazard S, H Schäfer. 2012. Stable isotope probing to study functional components of complex microbial ecosystems. In Methods in Environmental Microbiology, I. Paulsen and A. Holmes (Eds). Humana Press. (In press)
• Mazard S, M Ostrowski, S Tetu, B Palenik and I Paulsen. 2013. Coastal marine Synechococcus metagenomes. In Encyclopedia of metagenomics, K. E. Nelson (Ed). Springer Reference (In press).

- Other major outputs

• Marine Genomics Europe, Network of Excellence, Microbial Node Final report (2007). Implementation of high throughput genomics approaches to investigate the functioning of marine ecosystems and the biology of marine organisms. EU FP6 project contract GOCE-CT-2004-505403.
• MARGENES Final report (2006): Marine phytoplankton as novel model organisms for genomic and post-genomic studies of environmental sensing and niche adaptation. EU FP5 project contract QLG2-CT-2002-01226.
• PICODIV Final report (2003). Monitoring the diversity of photosynthetic picoplankton in marine waters. EU FP5 project contract EVK3-CT-1999-00021.

- Conference submissions

- Invited Presentations

• Mazard S, M Ostrowski, IT Paulsen. 2015. Defining the differences between symbiotic and free-living cyanobacteria. Invited talk at the Australian Society for Microbiology, 12-15 July, Canberra, Australia.
• Varkey DR, Ostrowski M, Mazard S, Tetu S, Paulsen I. Exploring temperature adaptation and niche selection in marine cyanobacteria, Synechococcus. Sydney Micro, Sydney, Jan 2015.
• Ostrowski M, S Mazard, S Tetu, D Varkey, IT Paulsen. 2012. How important is microbial nutrient cycling in regional Australian waters. IMOS, May, Sydney Institute Marine Science, Australia.
• Ostrowski M, S Mazard and I Paulsen. 2012. Phytoplankton ecology through the lens of genomics. Genes to Geoscience Outlook, Macquarie International workshop, 25-26 July, Macquarie University, Australia.
• Scanlan DJ, F Pitt, M Ostrowski, S Mazard, C Grob, L Jardillier, M Hartmann, MV Zubkov. 2012. Assessing the factors controlling marine picocyanobacterial diversity and abundance. 14th International symposium on phototrophic prokaryotes, 5-10 August, Porto, Portugal.
• Mazard S, JC Murrell, A Johnston, J Todd and H Schaefer. 2012. Making and breaking DMS in salt marsh sediments. Invited talk at the Joint Academic Microbiology Seminars (JAMS), 28 March, Sydney, Australia.
• Schaefer H, S Mazard and JC Murrell. 2012. Making and breaking DMS in salt marsh sediments. PML, 13 January, Plymouth, UK.
• Ostrowski M and S Mazard. 2011. Tools for dissecting complex microbial communities, and what level of taxonomic resolution defines ecotypes? Invited talk at The Australian Society for Microbiology, Annual Meeting, 4- 9 July, Hobart, Australia.
• Mazard S., JC Murrell and H Schaefer. 2011. Making and breaking DMS in salt marsh sediments. Second NERC grant meeting, 22 March, Coventry, UK and Microbiology symposium, 10 August, Coventry, UK.
• Mazard S., JC Murrell and H Schaefer. 2010. Making and breaking DMS in salt marsh sediments. First NERC grant meeting, 6 December, Norwich, UK.
• Mazard S, M Ostrowski & DJ Scanlan. 2010. Evolutionary divergence and biogeography of a ubiquitous group of marine phytoplankton: insights from fine scale biodiversity surveys and ecological genomics. Macquarie University, 27 August, Sydney, Australia, and AIMS, 02 September, Townsville, Australia.
• Ostrowski M, S Mazard and DJ Scanlan. 2010. "Synechococcus is everywhere, the environment selects". Microbiology RIG Seminar series, 20 June, Coventry, UK
• Mazard S, M Ostrowski & DJ Scanlan. 2008. Defining the molecular basis of genomic diversity and niche adaptation in marine Synechococcus – a genomic approach. Marine env. genomics and gene expression. MGE Workshop, 4-7 June, Bremerhaven, Germany.
• Mazard S, M Ostrowski, DJ Scanlan. 2007. The relationship between molecular diversity and ecology of oceanic Synechococcus revealed by multi-locus sequence analysis (MLSA). Conférences Jacques Monod: Environmental genomics: from individual genomes to genomes of complex communities, Roscoff, France, June 2007.
• Ostrowski M, S Mazard, B Palenik, I Paulsen, K Phillippy, A Johnson & DJ Scanlan. 2006. PtrA, a CRP family protein involved in coordinate regulation of gene expression during phosphorus deplete conditions in Synechococcus sp WH8102. 12th ISPP, August 2006, Pau, France.
• Mazard S & DJ Scanlan. 2005. Phosphorus starvation regulatory network in marine Synechococcus spp. WH8102 and WH7803. Final meeting of the EU Project MARGENES, December 9-10, Paris, France. And International Symposium on the Genomics of Marine Phytoplankton, 8-11 July 2005, Roscoff, France.
• Mazard S, M Ostrowski & DJ Scanlan. 2004. The ecology and physiology of marine Synechococcus: Insight into the P regulatory network of Synechococcus sp. WH8102. 3rd MARGENES meeting, July 2-4, Naples, Italy.
• Mazard S, N Fuller, F Partensky, N West & DJ Scanlan. 2003. Synechococcus Community structure in the Mediterranean Sea. 2nd MARGENES meeting, July 4-6, Berlin, Germany.
• Mazard S, N Fuller, F Partensky & DJ Scanlan. 2003. Molecular characterisation of cyanobacterial population structure in the Mediterranean Sea. 9th meeting of the Molecular Microbial Ecology Group (MMEG), April 7-8, Oxford, UK.
• Mazard S, N Fuller, F Partensky, DJ Scanlan & N West. 2003. Molecular characterisation of cyanobacterial population structure in the Mediterranean Sea. PICODIV final meeting, March 24-28, Oslo, Norway. Cavicchioli R, N Saunders, L Giaquinto, S Mazard, A Goodchild & PMG Curmi. 2002. Genomic studies of psychrophiles. 10th Annual International Meeting on Small Genomes, September 8-12, Lake Arrowhead, USA, & 151st Ordinary Meeting of the Society for General Microbiology, September 16-20, Loughborough, England, & 4th International Congress on Extremophiles, September 22-26, Naples, Italy.

- Posters

• Varkey D, M Ostrowski, S Mazard, S Tetu, P Haynes and IT Paulsen. 2014. Effect of low temperature on temperate and tropical isolates of marine Synechococcus. 9th European Workshop on the Molecular Biology of Cyanobacteria, 7-11 September, Texel, The Netherlands. [Won Best Poster Prize]
• Ostrowski M, S Mazard, F Pitt, R Holland, G Tarran, R Puxty, MV Zubkov, IT Paulsen, DJ Scanlan. 2014. High resolution biogeography of marine cyanobacteria and inter-annual stability of populations accross the Atlantic Basin. 15th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, 24-29 August, Seoul, Korea.
• Mazard S, M Ostrowski. 2013. Plant or animal? Dissecting the molecular and biochemical basis of the ancient cyanobacteria-sponge association. The 9th World Sponge Conference, 3-8 Nov, Fremantle, Western Australia.
• Pratscher J, S Mazard, JD Todd, A Curson, A Davy, JC Murrell, AWD Johnston, H Schaefer. 2012. Making and breaking DMS in salt marsh sediments. Poster presentation at Molecular Basis of Microbial One-Carbon Metabolism Gordon Research Conference, 5-10 August, Bates College, Lewiston, ME.
• Mazard S, M Ostrowski and DJ Scanlan. 2011. Multi locus sequence analysis (MLSA) and targeted population genomics of a ubiquitous marine microbe. Jacques Monod Conference: Integrative ecological genomics, 15-19 October, Roscoff, France.
• Blindauer C, J Chu, S Mazard, M Ostrowski and DJ Scanlan. 2011. Bacterial metallothioneins from the sea: variations in metal binding ligands, thermodynamics and kinetics. Poster presentation at 15th International Conference on Biological Inorganic Chemistry, 7-12 Aug, Vancouver, Canada.
• Mazard S, M Ostrowski & DJ Scanlan. 2009. Making sense of marine Synechococcus diversity, the key to understanding their ubiquitous ecological distribution. ISPP, 9-14 August, Montreal, Canada.
• Scanlan DJ, S Mazard, M Ostrowski, K Zwirglmaier, A Post, W Hess, A Dufresne & F Partensky. 2008. Defining the molecular basis of genomic diversity and niche adaptation in marine Synechococcus – a genomic perspective. Gordon Research Conference on Marine Microbes, July 13-20, Lucca, Italy.
• Ostrowski M, A Dufresne, S Mazard, N Wilkinson, L Garczareck, I Paulsen, W Hess, A Post, J Johnson, S Ferriera, P Wincker, P Partensky & DJ Scanlan. 2006. What can cyanobacterial genomes tell us about their environment? Marine Genomics Europe Exploratory Workshop, 8-9 June 2006, Max Plank Institute, Bremen, Germany.
• Mazard S, M Ostrowski, F Partensky, W Wilson & DJ Scanlan. 2005. Genetic diversity reflects niche adaptation in marine Synechococcus. Characterisation of the phosphate regulatory network. Wenner-Gren Foundations International Symposium: “Marine cyanobacteria: evolution, function and genomes”, August 24-27, Stockholm, Sweden.
• Ostrowski M, S Mazard S & DJ Scanlan. 2004. P acquisition and regulation in marine Synechococcus. Gordon Research Conference series: Marine microbes picophytoplankton, from ecology to genomics, June 6- 10, Roscoff, France.
• Giaquinto L, S Mazard, PMG Curmi & R Cavicchioli. 2002. Methanogenium frigidum: from genome-wide to Protein-specific (a pilot project for recombinant protein production). School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences Symposium, November 8, Sydney, Australia.