In biology, there are organisms that produce their own food and those that must obtain it elsewhere. This distinction between autotrophs and heterotrophs is a familiar aspect of the natural world for most people.

Then there are mixotrophs. “They combine both forms of metabolism, functioning as both plant and animal simultaneously,” explained Holly Moeller, an assistant professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology at UC Santa Barbara. “These are nanoplankton, so even with a decent microscope they mostly look like swimming sparkly dots!”

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has conferred Moeller with a CAREER award to study how these metabolically flexible organisms function and how they are impacted by environmental change. This five-year grant will enable her to expand her lab, which specifically focuses on mixotrophic plankton, to carry out more experiments and to create educational outreach opportunities for undergraduate students and K-12 teachers.