In the narrow streets of Kristineberg, Sweden, a special truck skillfully maneuvers through the rocky landscape. But this is not just any truck, it is a mobile research laboratory equipped with cutting-edge technology. Driven by scientists from the European Laboratory for Molecular Biology (EMBL) based in Heidelberg, this truck has a clear research mandate: to study marine life along the European coasts.
As part of the TREC expedition, water and land samples will be taken from around 140 different locations over approximately one and a half years and examined microscopically. Dr. Rainer Pepperkok, Director of Scientific Core Facilities and Services at EMBL, emphasized the relevance of this project:
„The water is very rich with many different species. We want to see how these species change, how they behave, and especially how they coexist. That’s why we use intensive microscopy to observe which species live together and how they interact with each other.“
Supported by the Manfred-Lautenschläger-Foundation from Heidelberg, the mobile laboratory sets new standards in research. Dr. Pepperkok explained the advantage of the laboratory:
„With this trailer, we bring the equipment directly to the scene. It is essential to analyze the samples as fresh as possible, especially for marine biological samples. On-site analysis allows us to conduct experiments that we could not realize before.“
He is convinced that this new method will revolutionize the field of marine biology.
The innovative research mission in Kristineberg will continue until the end of August. After that, the laboratory truck will continue its journey, making stops in cities like Bilbao and Porto. Over a period of four to six weeks, important samples for microbiology will be taken and analyzed in each city.
With such innovative approaches, our understanding of the marine ecosystem is elevated to a new level, paving the way for groundbreaking insights into marine research.