WEBSITE OVERHAUL IN PROGRESS

Heidi Abresch

CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR A POST-DOC!

For my dissertation, I am researching the how diatoms in the family Rhopalodiaceae have evolved with their N-fixing cyanobacterial endosymbionts. My focus is primarily on understanding how the host and endosymbiont are integrated genetically and metabolically.

More broadly, I am interested in “evolutionary grey areas” and evolutionary transitions. I love thinking about how tight-knit (endo)symbiotic relationships evolve, particularly protist-prokaryote symbioses. My focus is on understanding the basic biology of these relationships. Learning about these processes and organisms has direct ties to understanding microbial impact on their environments and global nutrient cycling.