This project will perform ecological food web experiments with genetically modified organisms in freshwater (bacteria – green algae – zooplankton) and marine ecosystems (bacteria – mussels). Foreign DNA will be introduced and monitored in the food-web models with continuous comparisons to control experiment without foreign genes. Effects and consequences will be evaluated at the level of molecular biology (e.g. uptake, distribution and expression of foreign DNA), at an ecological level (mortality, growth, fecundity, behaviour), and on a system level (dynamics, stability). The project also work on food-web dynamics with mathematical simulation models.

Results 2004:

Preliminary experiments with Daphnia magna feeding on transgenic cyanobacteria is conducted. Daphnia were fed low, medium and high doses of genetically modified bacteria. At high doses a significantly higher mortality was found in Daphnia feeding GM bacteria. The experiments will now be repeated and expanded with two species of zooplankton (Daphnia magna and D. tenebrosa) and with other GM bacteria.

Thomas Bøhn has been 6 months in New Zealand, co-operating with researchers at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch.

Participants in the project:

Thomas Bøhn, project leader
Terje Traavik
Raul Primicerio
Kaare Nielsen
Ann-Kathrin Pettersen