Awarded in 2020
Home Department: Biology
Faculty Advisors: Bo Wang (Bioengineering) and Stephen Palumbi (Biology)

Research Title: Regeneration with Symbiosis: Handling Stress with a Partner

Research Description: Symbiotic associations prevail in nature, but how organisms overcome stress while maintaining symbiotic relationships is poorly understood. Dania’s research aims to understand how animals with symbiotic relationships recover from major tissue losses, and how tissue regeneration is powered by symbiotic interactions. By studying a small and simple invertebrate called Convolutriloba longifissura and its obligate symbiotic algae Tetraselmis, Dania will determine the cellular response of both partners using novel live imaging techniques, reveal concomitant transcriptional changes in both species during regeneration, and identify essential molecular processes that coordinate the response of the symbiotic partners using genetic and environmental manipulations. This research will take place at the interface of two previously separate fields, regeneration and symbiosis.