Maria Dolores Molina

This study identifies Smed-pctk-1 as a regulator of eye and brain size in planarians through functional analyses and behavioral assays.

This study identifies DNA replication as a critical vulnerability in tardigrades under genotoxic stress, showing that damage to dividing gut cells leads to midgut failure and death.

The paper tests the developmental toxicity of plastic pellets on invertebrates from multiple phyla, finding concentration-dependent effects on embryonic development and morphogenesis.

This study identifies and characterizes LIM-HD genes in planarians, showing their roles in brain patterning, neuron subtype regeneration, and intestinal cell identity during regeneration.

The paper develops a computational model of the Nodal and BMP2/4 signaling pathways in sea urchin embryos, showing BMP dominance and the importance of Smad activation rates in dorsal-ventral patterning.