Microglena sp. YARC isolate:YARC Genome sequencing and assembly. Microglena sp. YARC isolate:YARC

Zinc is an essential trace metal for oceanic primary producers with the highest concentrations in polar oceans. However, its role in the biological functioning and adaptive evolution of polar phytoplankton remains enigmatic. Here, we have applied a combination of evolutionary genomics, quantitative proteomics, co-expression analyses, and cellular physiology to reveal that model polar phytoplankton species have a higher demand for zinc because of elevated cellular levels of zinc-binding proteins.