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On the Cover: Ostreococcus tauri

Epifluorescence image of Ostreococcus tauri cells. Blue reflects the nucleus stained with the DNA-specific dye DAPI, and red is the natural chlorophyll autofluorescence derived from the chloroplast. O. tauri is the smallest free-living eukaryote known on the planet and falls within the Prasinophyceae, at the base of the green lineage. This prasinophyte and its relative Micromonas pusilla are emerging as important models not only for plant systems biology, but also for study of primary production, or CO₂ fixation, in the world's oceans. Ostreococcus is known as a bloomer, sporadically reaching high biomass especially in coastal settings, whereas Micromonas has a broader range, extending from tropical waters into the Arctic Ocean. These organisms have been an international priority for genome sequencing; two complete sequences are available for Ostreococcus and two Micromonas genomes are in progress. Comparative genomics are facilitating rapid progress in understanding the evolutionary and ecological biology of these widespread marine "picoeukaryotes." Each cell harbors a single Golgi apparatus, nucleus, chloroplast, and mitochondrion. Epifluorescence image by Alexandra Z. Worden and Augustin Engman.