Julia Steger

The paper investigates the specification of three germ layers in Nematostella vectensis, showing that MAPK, β-catenin, and Notch signaling segregate mesoderm and endoderm, suggesting triploblasty predates cnidarian-bilaterian divergence.

The paper identifies nanos2+ cells in Nematostella vectensis that give rise to both germline and somatic lineages, suggesting conserved roles for nanos and piwi genes in stem cells across cnidarians.

The study identifies gene duplications and co-option of effector modules as mechanisms driving muscle cell type diversification in sea anemones.

The paper identifies SoxC as a conserved regulator of neurosecretory lineages in Nematostella vectensis using single-cell RNA-sequencing.

This study shows that mechanical forces, cell migration, and Wnt signaling drive rapid regeneration of the manubrium in Clytia hemisphaerica fragments.