FWF ESPRIT Fellowship for Sophia Ferchiou
Sophia Ferchiou, Postdoctoral Researcher at DOME, has been awarded an ESPRIT Fellowship by the Austrian Science Fund. Congratulations, Sophia!
In her project “MarIn-SEA” (Marine Invertebrate Symbioses: Epigenetic Analysis), Sophia Ferchiou studies how lucinid clams develop and sustain close partnerships with chemosynthetic bacteria that help them survive in challenging coastal habitats. The bacteria reside mainly in the gills, where they convert hydrogen sulfide into energy, supplying the clam with nutrients. In exchange, the clam provides a protected home and the essential chemicals the bacteria need, including sulfide and oxygen. Focusing on Loripes orbiculatus (Europe) and Codakia orbicularis (Caribbean), MarIn-SEA investigates how symbionts influence the host's overall regulation of symbiosis through small RNAs and epigenetic DNA modifications. These molecular systems may help clams select specific bacteria and maintain stable symbiosis across various tissues and developmental stages. Sophia’s research integrates antibiotic-based symbiont depletion with controlled reacquisition experiments, compares naturally bacteria-free juveniles to symbiotic adults, and employs a refined non-lethal “liquid biopsy” method to monitor molecular changes over time.
Sophia is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Vienna’s Division of Microbial Ecology (DOME | CeMESS), working on host–microbe interactions in marine invertebrate symbioses with a focus on epigenetics and small RNAs. She holds a master’s degree in oceanography and a PhD in marine biology from Canada, focusing on using liquid biopsy techniques to study marine species and assess marine and coastal ecosystems. She possesses extensive expertise in multi-omics and sequencing. Her focus is on developing innovative, eco-friendly tools that improve our ability to deepen our understanding of how molecular processes connect to ecosystem health.