Research Interests

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"Try to learn something about everything and everything about something." (Thomas Henry Huxley)

I am generally interested in how and why biological systems evolve, especially in terms of complexity levels. Most of my current research is rooted in the framework of transitions in individuality and complexity (at a conceptual level), and of cellular responses to stress (at a more mechanistic level). More specifically, I am interested in some of the most fundamental questions in evolution, such as the evolution of complexity, multicellularity, development, cell differentiation, cancer, sex, programmed death, and altruism. 

I am using a combination of approaches (experimental and theoretical), spanning various levels of biological organization (genes, genomes, cells, individuals, groups) and fields (genetics and genomics, molecular, cell and developmental biology, ecology and evolution) to address both HOW and WHY questions.

Other research interests included organelle genome evolution and molecular evolution in green algae.

For more detail on some of the current and previous research interests click on the links below.  Also, visit my lab.

bulletEvolution of multicellular complexity

Olson BJSC and AM Nedelcu. 2016. Co-option during the evolution of multicellularity and developmental complexity in the     volvocine green algae. Current Opinion in Genetics & Development 39:107-115.

Koenig SG and AM Nedelcu 2016. The mechanistic basis for the evolution of soma during the transition to multicellularity in the volvocine algae. In Newman SA and Niklas K (eds) “Multicellularity: Origins and Evolution”. Pp. 43-70. Vienna Series in Theoretical Biology. MIT Press.

Ruiz-Trillo I and AM Nedelcu (eds). 2015. Evolutionary transitions to multicellular life: Principles and Mechanism. Springer.

Kessler JO, Nedelcu AM, CA Solari, and Shelton DE. 2015. Cells acting as lenses: A possible role for light in the evolution of asymmetry in multicellular volvocine algae. In Ruiz-Trillo I and AM Nedelcu (eds) Evolutionary transitions to multicellular life: Principles and Mechanisms. Pp. 225-243. Springer.

Herron MD and AM Nedelcu. 2015. Volvocine algae: from simple to complex multicellularity. In Ruiz-Trillo I and AM Nedelcu (eds) Evolutionary transitions to multicellular life: Principles and Mechanisms. Pp. 129-152. Springer.

Nedelcu AM and  RE Michod.  2011. Molecular mechanisms of life history trade-offs and the evolution of multicellular complexity in volvocalean     green algae. In Flatt T and Heyland A (eds). Mechanisms of Life History Evolution: The Genetics and Physiology of Life History Traits and Trade-Offs. pp. 271-283. Oxford University Press.

Prochnik SE, Umen J, Nedelcu AM et al. 2010. Genomic analysis of organismal complexity in the multicellular green alga Volvox carteri. Science 329:223-226.

Nedelcu AM, Borza T, and RW Lee. 2006. A land plant-specific multigene family in the unicellular Mesostigma argues for its close relationship to Streptophyta. Mol. Biol. Evol. 23: 1011-1015

Michod RE, Y Viossat, CA Solari, M Hurrand and AM Nedelcu. 2006. Life history evolution and the origin of multicellularity. J. Theor. Biol. 239: 257-271

Nedelcu AM and RE Michod. 2004. Evolvability, modularity, and individuality during the transition to multicellularity in volvocalean green algae. In Schlosser G and Wagner G (eds) Modularity in development and evolution. pp. 468-489. University of Chicago Press; download pdf here

Solari CA, Nedelcu AM, and RE Michod. 2003. Fitness and complexity in volvocalean green algae. In H.Lipson, EK Antonsson, and JR Koza (eds). "Computational Synthesis: From basic building blocks to high level functionality". AAAI Press, Stanford, CA; download reprint here.

bullet Evolution of individuality

Nedelcu AM. 2012. On the evolution of self during the transition to multicellularity.  In Carlos Lopez-Larrea (ed) Self and Non-self. pp. 14-30. Landes Biosciences.

Nedelcu AM and RE Michod. 2004. Evolvability, modularity, and individuality during the transition to multicellularity in volvocalean green algae. In Schlosser G and Wagner G (eds) Modularity in development and evolution. pp. 468-489. University of Chicago Press; download pdf here

Michod RE and AM Nedelcu.  2004.  Cooperation and conflict during the unicellular-multicellular and prokaryotic-eukaryotic transitions.  In Moya A and Font E (eds) Evolution: From Molecules to Ecosystems. pp. 195-208. Oxford University Press; download reprint here.

Michod RE and AM Nedelcu.  2003. On the reorganization of fitness during evolutionary transitions in individuality. Integrative and Comparative Biology 43:64-73; download reprint here.

Michod RE, AM Nedelcu, and D Roze.  2003. Cooperation and conflict in the evolution of individuality. IV. Conflict mediation and evolvability in Volvox carteri.  BioSystems. 69:95-114; download reprint here.

bulletEvolution of altruism

Nedelcu AM. 2009. Environmentally-induced responses co-opted for reproductive altruism. Biology Letters 5: 805-808.

Nedelcu AM and RE Michod. 2006. The evolutionary origin of an altruistic gene. Mol. Biol. Evol. 23: 1460-1464

bullet Evolutionary approaches to cancer

May AN, Crawford B, AM Nedelcu. 2018. In Vitro Model-Systems to Understand the Biology and Clinical Significance of Circulating Tumor Cell Clusters. Frontiers in Oncology 8:63.

Nedelcu AM. 2017. Understanding ancient legacies to expose and exploit cancer’s evolutionary vulnerabilities. In Ujvari B, Roche B, Thomas F (Eds) “Ecology and Evolution of Cancer”. Pp 203-209. Elsevier

Nedelcu AM and Caulin A. 2016. The evolution of cancer suppressor mechanisms. In Maley C (ed) In Maley CC (ed) Frontiers in  Cancer Research: Evolutionary Foundations, Revolutionary Directions" Pp. 217-246. Springer.

Sprouffske K, Aktipis CA,  Radich JP, Carroll M, Nedelcu AM, and Maley CC. 2013. An evolutionary explanation for the presence of cancer non-stem cells in neoplasms. Evolutionary Applications 6:92-101.

Nedelcu AM and C. Tan. 2007. Early diversification and complex evolutionary history of the p53 tumor suppressor gene family. Development Genes and Evolution  217: 801-806.

bulletEvolution of self-induced death in unicellular lineages

Nedelcu AM, Driscoll WW, Durand PM, Herron M, and Rashidi E. 2011. On the paradigm of adaptive suicide in the unicellular world. Evolution 65:3-20.

Nedelcu AM. 2009.  Comparative genomics of phylogenetically diverse unicellular eukaryotes provide new insights into the genetic basis for the evolution of the programmed cell death machinery. Journal of Molecular Evolution 68: 256-268.

Nedelcu AM. 2006. Evidence for p53-like-mediated stress responses in green algae. FEBS Letters 580:3013-3017

bulletEvolution of sex

Michod RE., Bernstein H, Nedelcu AM. 2008. Adaptive Value of Sex in Microbial Pathogens. Infection, Genetics and Evolution  8: 267-285.

Nedelcu AM. 2005. Sex as a response to oxidative stress: Stress genes co-opted for sex. Proceedings of Royal Society London B, Biological Sciences 272: 1935-1940

Nedelcu AM, Marcu O, and RE Michod. 2004. Sex as a response to oxidative stress: A two-fold increase in cellular reactive oxygen species activates sex genes. Proceedings of Royal Society London B, Biological Sciences 271: 1591-1596; download pdf here

Nedelcu AM and RE Michod. 2003.  Sex as a response to oxidative stress: The effect of antioxidants on sexual induction in a facultatively sexual lineage. Proc. Royal Society London B, Biological Sciences 270: S136-S139; download reprint here.

bulletEvolutionary role of lateral gene transfer

Nedelcu AM, A Blakney and K Logue. 2009. Functional replacement of a primary metabolic pathway via multiple independent eukaryote-to-eukaryote gene transfers and selective retention. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 22: 1882-1894

Nedelcu AM, I Miles, K Karol, A Fagir. 2008. Adaptive eukaryote-to eukaryote gene transfer: Stress-related genes of algal origin in the closest unicellular relatives of animals. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 21: 1852-1860

bullet Organelle gene and genome evolution

Figueroa-Martinez F, Nedelcu AM, Reyes-Prieto A, and DR Smith. 2017. The plastid genomes of nonphotosynthetic algae are not so small after all. Communicative & Integrative Biology 10:1, e1283080.

Figueroa-Martinez F, Nedelcu AM, Smith DR, and A Reyes-Prieto. 2017. The plastid genome of Polytoma uvella is the largest known among non-photosynthetic algae and plants and reflects contrasting evolutionary paths to nonphotosynthetic lifestyles. Plant Physiology 173: 932-943.

Figueroa-Martinez F, Nedelcu AM, Smith DR, A Reyes-Prieto. 2015. When the lights go out: the evolutionary fate of free-living colorless green algae. New Phytologist 206:972-982.

Lang BF and AM Nedelcu. 2011. Plastid genomes of algae. In Bock R and Knoop V (eds) Genomics of Chloroplasts and Mitochondria. Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration Series. Springer Vol. 35. pp. 59-87.

Burger G and AM Nedelcu.  2011. Mitochondrial genomes of algae. In Bock R and Knoop V (eds) Genomics of Chloroplasts and Mitochondria. Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration Series. Springer Vol. 35. pp. 127-157.

Nedelcu AM. 2001.  Complex patterns of chloroplast small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene evolution in nonphotosynthetic green algae.  Journal of Molecular Evolution. 53:670-679; download reprint here.  

Nedelcu AM, RW Lee, C Lemieux, MW Gray, and G Burger.  2000.  The complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of Scenedesmus obliquus reflects an intermediate stage in the evolution of the green algal mitochondrial genome. Genome Research 10:819-831; download reprint here.  

Nedelcu AM.  1998.  Contrasting mitochondrial genome organizations and sequence affiliations among green algae: Potential factors, mechanisms, and evolutionary scenarios.  Journal of Phycology. 34:16-28. download reprint here.

Nedelcu AM and RW Lee.  1998a.  Short repetitive sequences in green algal mitochondrial genomes: Potential roles in mitochondrial genome evolution.  Molecular Biology and  Evolution. 15:690-701; download reprint here.

Nedelcu AM and RW Lee.  1998b.  A degenerate group II intron in the intronless mitochondrial genome of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: Evolutionary implications.  Molecular Biology and Evolution. 15:918-923.

 Nedelcu AM and RW Lee.  1998c.  Modes and tempos of mitochondrial and chloroplast genome evolution in Chlamydomonas: A comparative analysis.  In Rochaix J-D, Goldschmidt-Clermont M and Merchant S (eds) “The Molecular Biology of Chloroplast and Mitochondria in Chlamydomonas”, pp 63-91.  Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands.

Denovan-Wright EM, AM Nedelcu, and RW Lee.  1998.  Complete sequence of the mitochondrial DNA of Chlamydomonas eugametos. Plant Molecular Biology. 36:285-295.

Nedelcu AM.  1997.  Fragmented and scrambled mitochondrial ribosomal RNA coding regions among green algae: A model for their origin and evolution.  Molecular Biology and Evolution. 5:506-517; download reprint here 

Nedelcu AM, DF Spencer, EM Denovan-Wright, and RW Lee.  1996.  Discontinuous mitochondrial and chloroplast large subunit ribosomal RNAs among green algae: Phylogenetic implications. Journal of Phycology. 32:103-111.

For problems or questions regarding this web contact anedelcu@unb.ca.
Last updated: May 15, 2011.