Brown algae (Phaeophyceae) are are group of photosynthetic eukaryotes that have been evolving independently from animals and plants for more than a billion years. Brown algae constitute the third most complex eukaryotic multicellular lineage, displaying a wide variety of complex morphologies in both the haploid and diploid stages of their life cycle, thus representing a unique model to study the universality or uniqueness of biological processes throughout the tree of life.
Not only did brown algae evolved complex multicellularity, they also evolved a sex-determination system based on UV chromosomes. Besides determining sex, the UV chromosomes in brown algae display interesting evolutionary dynamics that distinguish them from the autosomes.
Not only did brown algae evolved complex multicellularity, they also evolved a sex-determination system based on UV chromosomes. Besides determining sex, the UV chromosomes in brown algae display interesting evolutionary dynamics that distinguish them from the autosomes.
Current projects:
- Evolution and function of genes associated with the emergence of multicellularity (collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen).
- Detection of de novo gene birth events in the model brown alga Ectocarpus (collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen).
- Developmental transcriptomics in Sargassum.