W. R. Francis

Transcriptomic responses of sponge holobionts to in situ, seasonal anoxia and hypoxia

This study examines the transcriptomic responses of two sponge species and their microbial symbionts to seasonal anoxia and hypoxia, revealing species-specific adaptations and limited metabolic changes under low oxygen conditions.

Bioluminescence and fluorescence of three sea pens in the north-west Mediterranean sea

The paper examines bioluminescence and fluorescence in three Mediterranean sea pen species, finding that light production and fluorescence occur at the same sites and suggesting a burglar alarm function.

Tracing animal genomic evolution with the chromosomal-level assembly of the freshwater sponge Ephydatia muelleri

The paper presents the chromosomal-level genome assembly of Ephydatia muelleri and analyzes its genomic architecture and adaptation mechanisms.

Very few sites can reshape a phylogenetic tree

The paper shows that removing specific sites from phylogenetic datasets can produce alternative tree topologies, highlighting issues with gene representation and standardization in phylogenetic analysis.

The role of homology and orthology in the phylogenomic analysis of metazoan gene content

The paper analyzes gene content in 26 animal genomes to show that gene conservation patterns differ based on orthology vs. homology definitions, suggesting new approaches are needed for resolving deep metazoan phylogeny.