A5052769068- Marine Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Venomous Animal Envenomation and Studies
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Marine Ecology and Invasive Species
- Connective tissue disorders research
- Marine Sponges and Natural Products
- Ion channel regulation and function
- Cell Adhesion Molecules Research
- Healthcare and Venom Research
- Protease and Inhibitor Mechanisms
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
Victoria University of Wellington
2020-2025
University of French Polynesia
2025
Université Paris Sciences et Lettres
2025
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
2025
Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l'Environnement
2025
Newcastle University
2020-2021
St Mary's Hospital
1993
Crown-of-thorns sea star (CoTS) outbreaks are one of the leading causes hard coral cover decline across Indo-Pacific, posing a major threat to health and resilience reefs. However, drivers underlying feeding on preferred (e.g., Acropora spp.) versus non-preferred Porites poorly understood. We hypothesised that venom may influence CoTS food preferences. investigated whether toxin peptide families drive prey preferences by comparing genomes transcriptomes (five species) species Echinopora...
The cnidarian–dinoflagellate symbiosis relies on the regulation of resident symbiont populations to maintain biomass stability; however, relative importance host regulatory mechanisms [cell-cycle arrest (CC), apoptosis (AP), autophagy (AU), and expulsion (EX)] during onset maintenance is largely unknown. Here, we inoculated a symbiont-free (aposymbiotic) model cnidarian ( Exaiptasia diaphana : “Aiptasia”) with either its native Breviolum minutum or one three non-native symbionts:...
In the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis, hosts show altered expression of genes involved in growth and proliferation when symbiotic state, but little is known about molecular mechanisms that underlie host’s rate. Using tissue-specific transcriptomics, we determined how symbiosis affects cell cycle-associated genes, model cnidarian Exaiptasia diaphana (Aiptasia). The presence symbionts within gastrodermis elicited cell-cycle arrest G1 phase a larger proportion host cells compared with...
The mutualistic cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis underpins the evolutionary success of stony corals and persistence coral reefs. However, a molecular understanding signalling events that lead to successful establishment maintenance this remains unresolved. For example, phosphatidylinositol (PI) pathway has been implicated during multiple parasitic interactions across kingdoms life, yet its role within unexplored. Here, we aimed confirm presence assess specific enzymatic composition PI...
Abstract In oligotrophic waters, cnidarian hosts rely on symbiosis with their photosynthetic dinoflagellate partners (family Symbiodiniaceae) to obtain the nutrients they need grow, reproduce and survive. For this persist, host must regulate growth proliferation of its symbionts. One proposed regulatory mechanisms is arrest symbiont cell cycle in G 1 phase, though cellular involved remain unknown. Cell-cycle progression eukaryotes controlled by conserved family cyclin-dependent kinases...