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Mathias Girbig

Postdoctoral Researcher, RG Hochberg
MPI for Terrestrial Microbiology
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Project: Exploring the evolution and diversity of molecular complexity in microbial eukaryotes

Project summary:
The emergence of the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA) was a key event in the history of life. LECA evolved from an archaeon, whose morphology and molecular machinery vastly increased in complexity. LECA’s origin is one of the biggest puzzles in evolution, yet, investigating its biology has been mostly restricted to either inference of its gene content or by studying extant single-celled protists. My Microcosm Earth Center project aims to combine the strengths of both approaches to investigate the evolution and diversity of eukaryotic molecular complexity. Using ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR), I aim to resurrect the molecular machinery of early eukaryotes to get biochemical and structural insights into how these complexes evolved. Building upon the in vitro characterization, I will validate my findings in the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to test if these ancestral, potentially unexpected, molecular traits are still essential for modern microbial eukaryotes.

Cooperation with: Felix Willmund (UMR), Lennart Randau (UMR), Jan Schuller (UMR)

Cooperation Partners