Welcome to the Evolution of Cells, Symbionts, and Organelles Lab website! We are located in the Department of Biological Sciences at Purdue University (IN, USA). One of the central questions that drive our research is ‘How does cellular complexity increase?’ Our research thus focuses on major transitions in cell evolution. Two of the immediate interests of the lab are (1) the origin of eukaryotes and their mitochondria, and (2) the origin and function of purple photosymbioses.
Some of the questions we will be tackling are:
- What was the nature of the mitochondrial ancestor?
- What was the genetic contribution of the mitochondrial ancestor to eukaryotes?
- How did mitochondria affect the physiology and evolution of eukaryotes?
- What are the mechanistic bases of purple photosymbioses?
- How have purple photosymbioses evolved?
See our research here to learn more.
Opportunities
I am currently looking for graduate students to join the ECSO Lab! If you are a motivated student interested in symbiosis and cell evolution, please do get in touch to discuss possibilities. If you are a student that belongs to an underrepresented or minority group, consider applying to the Graduate Diversity Visitation Program (GDVP) for a chance to visit Purdue and our lab with all expenses covered for four days. You can reach me at samunozg{at}purdue[dot]edu
News
Mar 15, 2023 | Our manuscript “Intracytoplasmic-membrane development in alphaproteobacteria involves the homolog of the mitochondrial crista-developing protein Mic60” is out in Current Biology! Check it out here. |
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Mar 13, 2023 | Our Quick Guide on Purple photosymbioses is out in Current Biology! Check it out here. |
Mar 1, 2023 | Dr. Shahed Shazib has officially joined the ECSO Lab as a Postdoctoral Researcher. Welcome Shahed! |
Jan 16, 2023 | The lab’s first manuscript “Energetics and evolution of anaerobic microbial eukaryotes” is out in Nature Microbiology. Read here. |
Jan 3, 2023 | The ECSO Lab at Purdue University has opened its doors! ![]() |