A groundbreaking research expedition is utilizing mobile laboratories to investigate the impact of pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change on Europe’s coastal ecosystems. These mobile truck labs will be deployed to over 100 coastal locations in 24 countries, allowing scientists to collect and analyze samples on-site using state-of-the-art equipment. This represents a significant advancement as it enables detailed molecular biology research to be conducted in the field for the first time.
Studying the ocean has always been challenging due to factors like limited visibility, pressure changes, salinity issues, and tides. Additionally, the lack of standardization in hardware, surveying methods, and data recording systems further complicates research in this field. The Traversing European Coastlines (Trec) project aims to address these challenges by developing mobile labs capable of analyzing samples directly in the field, thus mitigating the problem of sample degradation during transport to central laboratories.
By bringing cutting-edge technologies to the coastal areas where research is conducted, the project revolutionizes the exploration of land/water interface ecosystems.
By bringing cutting-edge technologies to the coastal areas where research is conducted, the project revolutionizes the exploration of land/water interface ecosystems. The Trec initiative is coordinated by the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), in collaboration with France’s Tara Ocean Foundation and the European Marine Biological Resource Centre. It commenced last month and will cover 120 sampling sites along the EU coastline, starting from Roscoff in France. At each location, samples of soil, sediment, and water will be collected and analyzed in the mobile labs, which are equipped with microscopes, freezers, and sample preparation equipment for imaging, genomic analysis, and metabolomic analysis.
Preliminary results from the project are already promising. Researchers have gained unprecedented insights into the ultrastructure of dinoflagellates, discovering new organelles that will take years to unravel their functions. The field data generated by the project is also expected to contribute to the identification of new protein complexes in the coming years.
While mobile labs have become increasingly common in healthcare, they are not yet mainstream in environmental science. The Trec project aims to establish this approach as the standard for molecular biologists working in the field. By incorporating quality assurance and quality control protocols, mobile labs can significantly enhance data collection methodologies, as stated by Giuseppe Manzella, co-founder of OceanHis, a company specializing in manufacturing mobile mini-labs for real-time ocean data collection.
The research conducted through the Trec project will enhance our understanding of the surveyed sections of the European coastline. Combining the Trec data with existing datasets from the European Marine Observation and Data Network (Emodnet) will unlock new insights. The integration of various forms of data is crucial to provide a comprehensive picture of the marine environment, including not only spatial distribution but also information on the water column and seafloor.
EMBL aims to set a new standard for environmental molecular biology with the deployment of mobile labs and hopes that the results of the Trec expedition will serve as a reference point for other researchers. The project aligns with the Horizon Europe Oceans Mission and complements another project called BIOOcean5D, in which EMBL is involved. BIOOcean5D focuses on the standardization of protocols for environmental data collection, which will contribute to the Trec initiative.
