S. Ben-Tabou de-Leon

Developmental transcriptomes of the sea star, Patiria miniata, illuminate the relationship between conservation of gene expression and morphological conservation

This paper compares developmental transcriptomes of sea stars and sea urchins to show that gene expression conservation decreases with evolutionary distance, supporting the hourglass model of phylotypic stage conservation.

Possible co-option of a VEGF-driven tubulogenesis program for biomineralization in echinoderms

This study identifies parallels between VEGF-driven tubulogenesis in sea urchin spiculogenesis and vertebrate vascularization, suggesting a shared ancestral program co-opted for biomineralization.