Dr. Sophia Ferchiou

I am a molecular ecologist focusing on marine host–microbe interactions, especially on the regulatory mechanisms underlying symbioses in lucinid clams. My research combines epigenomics, small RNA biology, and liquid biopsy techniques to understand how intracellular symbionts influence host physiology across different colonization states. During my Ph.D. in Canada, I developed non-invasive multi-omic tools to assess the health of coastal and polar ecosystems using sentinel species such as blue mussels. At the University of Vienna (DoME), my postdoctoral research explores how intracellular symbionts influence host gene regulation via epigenetic modifications and sRNAmediated pathways. My interdisciplinary background spans oceanography, molecular biology, and bioinformatics, supported by extensive fieldwork experience in environments ranging from temperate estuaries to subpolar ecosystems.