POST-DOCS
Dr Alexander Gruhl
DAAD Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
510 Darwin Centre I
Department of Zoology
The Natural History Museum
London SW7 5BD
UNITED KINGDOM
a.gruhl @ nhm.ac.uk
Tel +44 (0)207 942 5671
Fax +44 (0)207 942
Lab +44 (0)207 942 5742
DAAD Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
510 Darwin Centre I
Department of Zoology
The Natural History Museum
London SW7 5BD
UNITED KINGDOM
a.gruhl @ nhm.ac.uk
Tel +44 (0)207 942 5671
Fax +44 (0)207 942
Lab +44 (0)207 942 5742
Alex arrived in October 2009 and is working with NHM collaborator Beth Okamura and myself on developmental biology in the vermiform cnidarian (myxozoan) Buddenbrockia. Alex is self-funded through a post-doctctoral fellowship by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
A primary objective of this project is to investigate the body-plan of the strange, vermiform, parasitic cnidarian, Buddenbrockia plumatellae. The affinities of this animal had long been obscure until evidence from gene sequence data and ultrastructure demonstrated it to be a member of the Myxozoa and this group as a subtaxon of Cnidaria (Okamura et al. 2002; Jiménez-Guri et al. 2007). A worm-like body plan is so far completely unknown from cnidarians, which usually occur as radially symmetrical sessile polyps or free-swimming medusae. In order to elucidate evolutionary changes that have occurred during the transition to a vermiform parasitic organism, we conducted investigations on morphological features like the musculature and nervous system. Current research is focused on the expression pattern of Hox genes, which are known to play an important role in axis specification in both cnidarians and bilaterians.
References
Jiménez-Guri E, H Philippe, B Okamura, and PWH Holland. 2007. Buddenbrockia is a cnidarian worm. Science 317:116-118
Okamura B, A Curry, TS Wood, and EU Canning. 2002. Ultrastructure of Buddenbrockia sp. identifies it as a myxozoan and verifies the bilaterian origin of the Myxozoa. Parasitology 124:215-223
For more information please see the recently presented poster:
A Gruhl and B Okamura. Muscular archetecture of Buddenbrockia plumatellae and its significance for the phylogenetic position of Myxozoa SEE POSTER PDF (1.7 MB)
A primary objective of this project is to investigate the body-plan of the strange, vermiform, parasitic cnidarian, Buddenbrockia plumatellae. The affinities of this animal had long been obscure until evidence from gene sequence data and ultrastructure demonstrated it to be a member of the Myxozoa and this group as a subtaxon of Cnidaria (Okamura et al. 2002; Jiménez-Guri et al. 2007). A worm-like body plan is so far completely unknown from cnidarians, which usually occur as radially symmetrical sessile polyps or free-swimming medusae. In order to elucidate evolutionary changes that have occurred during the transition to a vermiform parasitic organism, we conducted investigations on morphological features like the musculature and nervous system. Current research is focused on the expression pattern of Hox genes, which are known to play an important role in axis specification in both cnidarians and bilaterians.
References
Jiménez-Guri E, H Philippe, B Okamura, and PWH Holland. 2007. Buddenbrockia is a cnidarian worm. Science 317:116-118
Okamura B, A Curry, TS Wood, and EU Canning. 2002. Ultrastructure of Buddenbrockia sp. identifies it as a myxozoan and verifies the bilaterian origin of the Myxozoa. Parasitology 124:215-223
For more information please see the recently presented poster:
A Gruhl and B Okamura. Muscular archetecture of Buddenbrockia plumatellae and its significance for the phylogenetic position of Myxozoa SEE POSTER PDF (1.7 MB)
PUBLICATIONS
Gruhl A. 2010. Ultrastructure of mesoderm formation and development in Membranipora membranacea (Bryozoa: Gymnolaemata). Zoomorphology 128:135-156 PDF
Gruhl A. 2009. Serotonergic and FMRFamidergic nervous systems in gymnolaemate bryozoan larvae. Zoomorphology 128:135-156 PDF
Gruhl A, I Wegener, and T Bartolomaeus. 2009. Ultrastructure of the body cavities in Phylactolaemata (Bryozoa). Journal of Morphology 270:306-318 PDF
Gruhl A. 2008. Muscular systems in gymnolaemate bryozoan larvae (Bryozoa: Gymnolaemata). Zoomorphology 127:143-159 PDF
Gruhl A and T Bartolomaeus. 2008. Ganglion ultrastructure in phylactolaemate Bryozoa: Evidence for a neuroepithelium. Journal of Morphology 269:594-603 PDF
Gruhl A, P Grobe, and T Bartolomaeus. 2005. Fine structure of the epistome in Phoronis ovalis: significance for the coelomic organization in Phoronida. Invertebrate Biology 124: 332-343 PDF
FORMER POST-DOCS
Dr Natasha N Pouchkina-Stantcheva
BBSRC Post-Doctoral Research Associate
BBSRC Post-Doctoral Research Associate
Natasha joined us in March 2009 to lead the BBSRC-sponsored project on developmental genes in cestodes. Her most recent appointments include Sussex and Cambridge universities and she brings with her a wealth of experience in research directed at understanding the genetic underpinnings of animal form and function.
RELATED INFORMATION:
N Pouchkina-Stantcheva & PD Olson
Development of RNA interference in Hymenolepis
(Presented at the Molecular & Cellular Biology of Helminths VI conference, Hydra, Greece Sept 2010)
SEE POSTER PDF (1.8 MB)
RELATED INFORMATION:
N Pouchkina-Stantcheva & PD Olson
Development of RNA interference in Hymenolepis
(Presented at the Molecular & Cellular Biology of Helminths VI conference, Hydra, Greece Sept 2010)
SEE POSTER PDF (1.8 MB)
Dr Magdalena Zarowiecki
SynTax Post-Doctoral Research Associate
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
Team 133
Wellcome Trust Genome Campus
Hinxton
Cambridge CB10 1SD
UNITED KINGDOM
mz3_@_sanger.ac.uk
SynTax Post-Doctoral Research Associate
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
Team 133
Wellcome Trust Genome Campus
Hinxton
Cambridge CB10 1SD
UNITED KINGDOM
mz3_@_sanger.ac.uk
Magdalena obtained her PhD in Dec 2009 from the NHM and the University of Manchester, and in January began working on the Hymenolepis genome project with Matt Berriman's group at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, outside Cambridge. She will soon begin a 9-month, SynTax-funded PDRA position to assemble and annotate the genome, characterize the Hox cluster, and begin comparative analyses with other flatworm genomes.
RELATED INFORMATION:
M Zarowiecki, A Sanchez-Flores, N Pouchkina-Stantcheva, N Holroyd, M Berriman & PD Olson
The Hymenolepis genome and transcriptome
(Presented at the Molecular & Cellular Biology of Helminths VI conference, Hydra, Greece Sept 2010)
SEE POSTER PDF (5.2 MB)
RELATED INFORMATION:
M Zarowiecki, A Sanchez-Flores, N Pouchkina-Stantcheva, N Holroyd, M Berriman & PD Olson
The Hymenolepis genome and transcriptome
(Presented at the Molecular & Cellular Biology of Helminths VI conference, Hydra, Greece Sept 2010)
SEE POSTER PDF (5.2 MB)
PUBLICATIONS
Olson PD, M Zarowiecki, F Kiss and K Brehm. (in press) Invited Review: Cestode genomics - progress and prospects for understanding basic and applied aspects of flatworm biology. Parasite Immunology PDF
Olson PD, M Zarowiecki, F Kiss and K Brehm. (in press) Invited Review: Cestode genomics - progress and prospects for understanding basic and applied aspects of flatworm biology. Parasite Immunology PDF