Laura A. Katz

Elucidating changes in gene expression driving nuclear dynamics across a foraminiferal life cycle with Pheno2Seq

The paper develops Pheno2Seq to study gene expression changes in foraminifera life cycle transitions, identifying genes involved in nuclear dynamics and genome stability.

A geothermal amoeba sets a new upper temperature limit for eukaryotes

This study identifies a geothermal amoeba that divides at 63°C, setting a new upper temperature limit for eukaryotes and challenging existing paradigms about eukaryotic thermal tolerance.

A new class of proteinaceous biomaterial with unprecedented properties in unicellular eukaryotes

The paper identifies self-assembling structural proteins in tintinnid ciliates that form heat- and chemical-resistant shells, offering new insights for biomaterial design.

Protists as mediators of complex microbial and viral associations

This study investigates protist-associated microbiomes and viromes using single-cell isolation and metagenomics, revealing unique microbial and viral interactions and their ecological roles.

Rethinking large scale phylogenomics with EukPhylo v1.0, a flexible toolkit to enable phylogeny-informed data curation and analyses of diverse eukaryotic lineages

EukPhylo v1.0 improves phylogenomic analysis of eukaryotes by enabling contamination removal, gene family estimation, and transparent, repeatable tree construction.

Phylogeny and species delimitation of ciliates in the genus Spirostomum (Class, Heterotrichea) using single-cell transcriptomes

This study uses single-cell transcriptomes to reveal cryptic species and phylogenetic relationships in Spirostomum ciliates, identifying at least nine cryptic species.

Genome content in the non-model ciliate Chilodonella uncinata: insights into nuclear architecture, gene-sized chromosomes among the total DNA in their somatic macronuclei during their development

This study characterizes nuclear architecture and genome dynamics in the non-model ciliate Chilodonella uncinata using DAPI and FISH, revealing differences in MAC developmental stages compared to other ciliates.

Genome analysis of the unicellular eukaryote Euplotes vannus reveals molecular basis for sex determination and tolerance to environmental stresses

This study analyzes the genome and transcriptome of Euplotes vannus to uncover molecular mechanisms of sex determination and stress tolerance.