Current research
Plastid evolution by endosymbioses
Plastids evolved by multiple endosymbiotic events that a photosynthetic organism was ingested by a host eukaryote. In these events, numerous genes were lost and transferred from the endosymbiont to the host nuclear genome, and thus the endosymbiont was fully integrated with the host cell as an organelle. Several algal groups evolved secondary plastids by the uptake of a green or red algal endosymbiont. Chlorarachniophytes possess a secondary plastid of green algal origin. This algal group is of special interest, because the plastids harbor a relict endosymbiont nucleus “nucleomorph”, showing an intermediate stage of secondary endosymbioses (endosymbiont nuclei disappeared in most cases). I mainly investigate this unique secondary plastid.
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My main research questions
- What is the evolution of endosymbiotically derived genes?
- How are the plastid and nucleomorph maintained and controlled by the host cell?
Current research topics
- Genome and transcriptome analyses in chlorarachniophyte algae
- Protein trafficking of nucleus-encoded organelle proteins
- Organelle division and organelle DNA replication
Development of genetic tools
We also work on the development of genetic transformation system in marine microalgae to advance molecular cell biological studies in non-model organisms. This is a collaboration with Dr. Patrick Keeling (University of British Columbia), and supported by the Marine Microbiology Initiative program of Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
We also work on the development of genetic transformation system in marine microalgae to advance molecular cell biological studies in non-model organisms. This is a collaboration with Dr. Patrick Keeling (University of British Columbia), and supported by the Marine Microbiology Initiative program of Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
