Program

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM (for full-program Brochure click here)

THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2013

MORNING SESSION 1: LIFE CYCLE (Chair: Annette Coleman)

8:30 – 8:45         Introduction

8:45 – 9:10        Kaoru Kawafune (University of Tokyo)
Different rickettsial bacteria invading Volvox carteri by endosymbiosis and horizontal gene transfer

9:10 – 9:35         Ben Rosenzweig (University of Montana)
Can algae acquire Vitamin B12 from bacterial endosymbionts?

9:35 – 10:00         Stephen Miller (University of Maryland Baltimore County)
Effect of resource limitation on asexual development of Volvox carteri
Title missing

MORNING SESSION 2: DEVELOPMENT & CELL DIFFERENTIATION (Chair: Stephen Miller)

10:30 – 10:45    Introduction

10:45 – 11:10    Stephanie Hoehn (University of Cambridge)
Type B embryo inversion in Volvox globator

11:10 – 11:35     Patrick J. Ferris (University of Arizona)
Evolution of a soma-determining gene

11:35 – 12:00     Zach Grochau-Wright (University of Arizona)
Discovery of regA family genes in non-Volvox species

AFTERNOON SESSION 1: TAXONOMY AND PHYLOGENY (Chair: Hisayoshi Nozaki)

1:30 – 1:45        Introduction

1:45 – 2:10         Annette Coleman (Brown University)
A Volvocacean jackpot

2:10 – 2:35         Hisayoshi Nozaki (University of Tokyo)
Two species of a new ‘missing link’ genus of the “evolutionary time machine” Volvocine greens

2:35 – 3:00         Thomas Pröeschold (University of Rostock)
How to use ITS-2 as DNA barcode marker? A case study of the Volvocales

AFTERNOON SESSION 2: MOLECULAR AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS (Chair: Jim Umen)

3:30 – 3:45         Introduction

3:45 – 4:10        Sa Geng (Donald Danforth Plant Science Center)
Genetic basis of sexual dimorphism in Volvox carteri

4:10 – 4:35         Takako Kato-Minoura (Chuo University)
Molecular evolution of volvocalean actin genes

4:35 – 5:00         Aurora Nedelcu (University of New Brunswick)
The SAND domain and the evolution of multicellular complexity

EVENING (5:00 – 6:30): POSTER SESSION

P1: Aurelia R. Honerkamp-Smith (University of Cambridge)
Selective plane illumination for 3-dimensional cell tracking during Volvox development and inversion

P2: Hiroko Kawai-Toyooka (University of Tokyo)
Mating type-specific two-step regulation for the fusogen GCS1 in the isogamous volvocine alga Gonium pectorale

P3: Arash Kianianmomeni (University of Bielefeld)
Validation of reference genes for quantitative gene expression studies in Volvox carteri using real-time RT-PCR

P4: Aleatha Lee (University of New Brunswick)
Volvox carteri as a model-system for cancer research

P5: Gavriel Matt (Donald Danforth Plant Science Center)
Separation of gonidia and somatic cell types for high-throughput transcriptome analysis using RNA-seq

P6: Jassy Meng (University of New Brunswick)
Volvox as a model-system for aging research

P7: Linna Meng (University of New Brunswick)
Single-domain TAZ-containing proteins potentially involved in the evolution of multicellularity in Volvox carteri

P8: Ayano Miyagi (Donald Danforth Plant Science Center)
Functional studies of volvocine algal Mid proteins in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

P9: Noriko Ueki (Chuo University)
A uniquely tagged transposon for improved transposon-based mutagenesis in Volvox carteri

P10: Stephanie Hoehn (Cambridge University)
Biomechanical features of diverse inversion processes in Volvox sp.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2013

MORNING SESSION 1: EVOLUTION 1 (Chair: Matthew Herron)

8:30 – 8:45         Introduction

8:45 – 9:10        Matthew Herron (University of Montana)
Experimental evolution of a multicellular life cycle in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

9:10 – 9:35         Yoko Arakaki (University of Tokyo)
The simplest multicellular organism Tetrabaena socialis

9:35 – 10:00     Cristian Solari (University of Buenos Aires)
Costs and benefits of the first steps toward multicellularity: A Gonium pectorale (Volvocaceae) case study

MORNING SESSION 2: EVOLUTION 2 (Chair: Aurora M. Nedelcu)

10:30 – 10:45     Introduction

10:45 – 11:10    James Umen (Donald Danforth Plant Science Center)
Evolution of sexual dimorphism in volvocine algae

11:10 – 11:35     Erik R. Hanschen (University of Arizona)
Sex and cell types: understanding the evolution of volvocine cell types

11:35 – 12:00     Matheus Lima (University of Sao Paulo)
Testing the oxidative damage theory of aging in Volvox carteri


AFTERNOON SESSION 1: GENOMICS (Chair: David Smith)

1:30 – 1:45         Introduction

1:45 – 2:10        Takashi Hamaji (Kyoto University)
Evolutionary dynamic features of mating loci inferred from de novo genome sequencing of Gonium pectorale (Volvocales, Chlorophyta)

2:10 – 2:35        David R. Smith (Western University)
The nonphotosynthetic volvocalean Polytomella: a genome discovery & mystery story

2:35 – 3:00        Adrian Reyes-Prieto (University of New Brunswick)
Exploring genomic consequences after the loss of photosynthesis in the colorless alga Polytoma uvella

AFTERNOON SESSION 2: GENOMICS AND WORKSHOP/ROUND TABLE (Chair: Brad Olson)

3:30 – 4:30         Bradley J.S.C. Olson (Kansas State University)
The Volvocales genome project

4:30 – 5:30         Round Table
1. Genome data analysis– approaches and challenges
2. Future comparative genomics possibilities from the Volvocales genomes
3. Working with comparative genomics data to generate candidate gene lists and validate them experimentally

EVENING SESSION

5:30 – 6:30     Movie and trivia night – Movies and trivia featuring volvocine algae