Life Sciences Seminar: The many faces of green microalgae diversity
Life Sciences Seminar
From ponds to deserts: The many faces of green microalgae diversity
Dr. Elena Lopez Peredo
Assistant Professor, Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences
Rochester Institute of Technology
Abstract: Green microalgae are unicellular microorganisms that can be found in nearly every environment on Earth. Although they are traditionally associated with freshwater habitats, deserts host an extremely diverse community of green algae that form part of the biological soil crusts. One of the defining characteristics of these desert-dwelling algae is their extreme desiccation tolerance. They can survive complete dehydration and begin photosynthesizing again within seconds of receiving water. This tolerance evolved during the transition to life on land, and it is not present in their aquatic sister taxa. So, how do desert microalgae achieve this remarkable resilience? By comparing patterns of physiological response, gene expression and genomic structure in tolerant and intolerant species we have discovered that tolerant green microalgae activate genes typically associated with desiccation responses in seed plants which confirms the deep evolutionary roots of this stress response across the green plant tree of life.
Intended Audience:
Beginners, undergraduates, graduates. Those with interest in the topic.
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