Algal Development and Evolution - Susana Coelho
Our research focuses on the origin, evolution, and regulation of sexual systems diversity and on the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms that underlie the complex developmental patterns and reproductive features in brown and red algae.
Brown algae have been evolving independently of animals and land plants for more than a billion years. During that time, they have become the third most developmentally complex lineage on the planet, exhibiting a fascinating range of developmental patterns, types of sexual life cycles and sex determination systems. Red seaweeds are a sister group to land plants, and we study the molecular basis of their development and reproduction. These extraordinary organisms are expected to provide fundamental insights into the processes underlying the evolution of complex multicellular life.
