A. J. Burnetti

Examining the role of oxygen-binding proteins on the early evolution of multicellularity

This study shows oxygen-binding proteins enhance fitness in larger organisms under high oxygen conditions by improving oxygen diffusion efficiency.

Entanglement in living systems

This study shows that growth in living systems facilitates entanglement across a broad range of geometries, unlike non-living materials where entanglement is geometry-sensitive.

Proteostatic tuning underpins the evolution of novel multicellular traits

The paper shows that downregulation of Hsp90 drives cellular elongation and multicellular adaptation in the MuLTEE experiment, revealing a proteostatic mechanism for macroscopic multicellularity evolution.

Using light for energy: examining the evolution of phototrophic metabolism via synthetic construction

This study shows that Saccharomyces cerevisiae can become a facultative phototroph by acquiring a rhodopsin gene from Ustilago maydis, gaining a growth advantage under green light.

De novo evolution of macroscopic multicellularity

This study shows how snowflake yeast evolved macroscopic multicellularity under anaerobic conditions through biophysical adaptations, while remaining microscopic under low oxygen conditions.