Current Research and Scholarly Interests
My research focuses on the cell biology and biochemistry underlying the symbiotic relationship between corals and their partners, microscopic algae of the genus Symbiodinium. The algae live in the gut tissue of the coral and provide its host sugars and other products of photosynthesis while the coral provides inorganic carbon, nitrogen, and a safe habitat. I'm interested in identifying and understanding the signaling pathways involved in 1) recognizing and choosing the correct algae partner and 2) communication and transfer of nutrients between the two partners.
