We discover the biology that powers coral-algal symbiosis
Our laboratory has moved to the Department of Bioengineering at the University of California, Riverside. Please check out our new website.
We are broadly interested in host-microbe interactions. The dinoflagellate in the family Symbiodiniaceae forms a symbiotic relationship with many hosts including coral, anemones, jellyfish, and clams. They provide coral with photosynthetically fixed carbon while the coral supplies the algae with inorganic nutrients and a haven from predation.
Our laboratory is interested in answering fundamental questions about the biology and metabolism of dinoflagellates. In particular, we apply systems biology (metabolomics, transcriptomics, genomics), cell biology, and genetic approaches to understand coral-algal symbiosis and toxin biosynthesis in red tide dinoflagellates.
