Dr. Leslie Babonis
Research Assistant Scientist, University of Florida, Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience
Research Profile
Understanding biodiversity, one cell at a time
Thursday, February 6, 12 PM, AHF 153 (Torrey Webb Room)
Abstract: I study novelty. Specifically, I am interested in understanding the factors that drive the origin and diversification of novel cell types. More than just taxon-specific oddities, novel cell types can promote niche specialization and facilitate speciation events; thus, studying novelty is critical for understanding the evolution of biodiversity. One of my favorite projects focuses on understanding the mechanisms driving morphological and functional specialization of cnidocytes (stinging cells) across cnidarians (corals, jellyfish, and their kin). Using a combination of observational and functional techniques, I have constructed a cnidocyte gene regulatory network that I use to test hypotheses about the evolutionary origin of this truly bizarre lineage of cells. Surprisingly, the fate of this novel cell lineage seems to have been acquired through recycling and reorganization of an old gene regulatory network, rather that the origin of a novel regulation strategy.
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