Irene’s doctoral thesis investigates the effects of decreasing oxygen conditions on microbial communities through the aerobic respiration kinetics and how these communities adapt at the oxic-anoxic interfaces. As a part of her PhD work, Irene has participated in two oceanographic expeditions to oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) in the North and South Pacific Ocean. During these campaigns aboard scientific research vessels, she performed on-site experiments and collected samples for molecular biology analysis, aiming to understand microbial behaviour at the genetic level.

Currently, Irene is undertaking a predoctoral research stay at the prestigious Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Massachusetts, USA) from September 20 to December 20, 2024, under the supervision of Maria G. Pachiadaki, an expert in molecular biology, particularly in metagenomics and metatranscriptomics of marine environments. During this stay, Irene is conducting DNA and RNA extractions to describe microbial communities, as well as identifying key genes and enzymes involved in their adaptation to decreasing oxygen conditions. This research sheds light on how microorganisms adjust to oxygen-depleted oceans, where critical biogeochemical cycles and functioning of the world’s oceans depend heavily on microbial processes.