Application for Assistant Professor
Left: Simplified Metazoa phylogentic tree showing Cnidaria as the sister group of all Bilateria, evolutionary view based on Kapli et al. 2021. Right: Close-up view of a group of Nematostella vectensis, showing that several individuals can easily be maintained in a relative small water volume.
Left: N. vectensis general morphology at two different life stages: sexual mature adult and juvenile. Right top: Schematic view of the complete life cycle of N. vectensis, completed within 4 to 6 weeks. The swimming planula larva will settle and give rise to a juvenile polyp that on its turn will develop into sexual mature females or males. Right bottom: Schematic view of key phases of anterior regeneration of N. vectensis, which takes 5 to 7 days to be completed.
Schematic view of the main senescence trigers and biological consequences, with the beneficial roles of senescence (short-term persistence) versus the antagonistic effects (long-term maintenace of senescent cells).
Graphical abstract for my current Associate Professor proposal and research group.