A5073693220- Marine Sponges and Natural Products
- Marine Biology and Environmental Chemistry
- Marine Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology
- Photoreceptor and optogenetics research
- Cephalopods and Marine Biology
- Marine Ecology and Invasive Species
- Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Neural dynamics and brain function
- Planarian Biology and Electrostimulation
- Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
- Plant and Biological Electrophysiology Studies
- Connexins and lens biology
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Microtubule and mitosis dynamics
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Gene Regulatory Network Analysis
- Hippo pathway signaling and YAP/TAZ
- Forensic and Genetic Research
- Muscle Physiology and Disorders
University of Bergen
2022-2025
University of Denver
2019-2022
Norwegian Institute of Marine Research
2021-2022
University of Alaska Anchorage
2014
A fundamental breakthrough in neurobiology has been the formulation of neuron doctrine by Santiago Ramón y Cajal, which stated that nervous system is composed discrete cells. Electron microscopy later confirmed and allowed identification synaptic connections. In this work, we used volume electron three-dimensional reconstructions to characterize nerve net a ctenophore, marine invertebrate belongs one earliest-branching animal lineages. We found neurons subepithelial have continuous plasma...
Muscle-based movement is a hallmark of animal biology, but the evolutionary origins myocytes are unknown. Although believed to lack muscles, sponges (Porifera) capable coordinated whole-body contractions that purge debris from internal water canals. This behavior has been observed for decades, their contractile tissues remain uncharacterized with respect ultrastructure, regulation, and development. We examine sponge Ephydatia muelleri find tissue-wide organization module composed actin,...
The transition from simple to complex multicellularity involves division of labor and specialization cell types. In animals, sensory-motor systems are primarily built around specialized cells muscles neurons, though the evolutionary origins these their integration remain unclear. Here, investigate sensory-behavior coupling in closest relatives we established a line choanoflagellate, Salpingoeca rosetta, which stably expresses calcium indicator RGECO1. Using this, identify previously unknown...
Neurons, especially when coupled with muscles, allow animals to interact and navigate through their environment in ways unique life on earth. Found all major animal lineages except sponges placozoans, nervous systems range widely organization complexity, neurons possibly representing the most diverse cell-type. This diversity has led much debate over evolutionary origin of as well synapses, which for directed transmission information. The broad phylogenetic distribution presence many...
Abstract Aim We test the hypothesis that North Pacific coastline from British Columbia to Kuril Islands forms a broad region of admixture between two divergent mitochondrial‐genome (mt DNA ) lineages in three‐spined stickleback ( Gasterosteus aculeatus ): Euro‐North American ENA and Trans‐North‐Pacific TNP or Japanese) clades. whether distance is primary determinant geographical patterns haplotype distributions deep‐water trenches Aleutian archipelagos impede gene flow. Location Coastal...
Abstract The transition between simple to complex multicellularity involves large degrees of division labor and specialization cell types. In animals, sensory motor systems are primarily built around the fundamental types muscles neurons, though evolutionary origin these cells, their integration, remains unclear. Here, in order investigate sensory-behavior coupling closest relatives we established a line choanoflagellate, Salpingoeca rosetta , which stably expresses calcium indicator RGECO1....
Abstract Muscle-based movement is a hallmark of animal biology, but the evolutionary origins myocytes – cells that comprise muscle tissues are unknown. Sponges (Porifera) provide an opportunity to reconstruct earliest periods myocyte evolution. Although sponges believed lack muscle, they capable coordinated whole-body contractions purge debris from internal water canals. This behavior has been observed for decades, their contractile remain uncharacterized; it open question whether have...