Alexey Grigoryevich Desnitskiy

 

Professor, St. Petersburg State University, Faculty of Biology, Department of Embryology. St. Petersburg, Russia

 

Senior Research Associate, St. Petersburg State University, Faculty of Biology, Biological Institute and Department of Embryology. St. Petersburg, Russia 

 

Postal address: Department of Embryology, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya nab. 7/9, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia

E-mail:  adesnitskiy@mail.ru

 

Research Interests:

 

Evolutionary developmental biology. Problem of the evolutionary reorganizations of ontogeny in the algal genus Volvox and other groups of organisms. Evolutionary ecology of Volvox and related coenobial volvocine algae. Comparative embryology of amphibians (frogs, toads and salamanders). Cell cycles and cell differentiation during early amphibian development.

Research Publications:

Desnitskiy A.G. (2020). Algae of the genus Volvox (Chlorophyta) in sub-extreme habitats. The International Journal of Plant Reproductive Biology 12(2):156-158. for reprint click here

Desnitskiy A.G. (2019) Advances in the research of sexual reproduction in colonial volvocine algae. Russian Journal of Developmental Biology. Vol. 50. No 5. P. 225-229.

Desnitskiy A.G. (2019) The diversity of the initial steps of embryogenesis in amphibians. Lan’ Publishers. St. Petersburg. pp. 1-112.

Desnitskiy A.G. (2019) Facultative symbiosis of Oophila amblystomatis (Chlorophyceae) with
amphibian eggs and embryos. International Journal of Plant Reproductive Biology. Vol. 11. No 2. pp. 103-106.

Desnitskiy A.G. (2019) A discussion on some aspects of the Turing model of morphogenesis
applied to plants. International Journal of Plant Reproductive Biology. Vol. 11. No 1. pp. 1-3.

Desnitskiy A.G. (2018) Cell cycles during early steps of amphibian embryogenesis: A review. BioSystems. Vol. 173. pp. 100-103.

Desnitskiy A.G, Sym S., Durand P.M. (2018) On the contribution of Mary Agard Pocock to developmental biology research of the genus Volvox L. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa. Vol. 73. No 3. P. 277-282.

Desnitskiy A.G. (2018) Comparative analysis of embryonic inversion in algae of the genus Volvox (Volvocales, Chlorophyta). Russian Journal of Developmental Biology. Vol. 49. No 3. P. 129-133.

Desnitskiy A.G. (2017) On ecological aspects of the evolutionary reorganizations of Volvox ontogeny. International Journal of Plant Reproductive Biology. Vol. 9. No 2. pp. 183-186.

Desnitskiy A.G. (2017) A symbiosis of amphibian embryos and larvae with unicellular green algae. Russian Journal of Herpetology. Vol. 24. No 3. pp. 223-227.

Desnitskiy A.G. (2017) Differentiation of reproductive structures and experimental sex change in Volvox. (Chlorophyta, Volvocaceae). International Journal of Plant Reproductive Biology. Vol. 9. No 1. pp. 65-70.

Desnitskiy A.G. (2016) Major ontogenetic transitions during Volvox (Chlorophyta) evolution: when and where might they have occurred? Development Genes and Evolution. Vol. 226. No 5. P. 349-354.

Chetverikov P.E. & Desnitskiy A.G. (2016) A study of embryonic development in eriophyoid mites (Acariformes, Eriophyoidea) with the use of the fluorochrome DAPI and confocal microscopy. Experimental and Applied Acarology. Vol. 68. No 1. pp. 97-111.

Desnitskiy A.G. (2015) On the features of embryonic cleavage in diverse fish species. Russian Journal of Developmental Biology. Vol. 46. No 6. pp. 326-332.

Chetverikov P.E., Desnitskiy A.G. & Navia D. (2015) Confocal microscopy refines generic concept of a problematic taxon: rediagnosis of the genus Neoprothrix and remarks on female anatomy of eriophyoids (Acari: Eriophyoidea). Zootaxa. Vol. 3919. No 1. pp. 179-191.

Desnitskiy A.G. & Litvinchuk S.N. (2015) Comparative and phylogenetic perspectives of the cleavage process in tailed amphibians. Zygote (Cambridge). Vol. 23. No 5. pp. 722-731.

Desnitskiy A.G. (2014) Ontogenetic diversity of colonies and intercellular cytoplasmic bridges in the algae of the genus Volvox. Russian Journal of Developmental Biology. Vol. 45. No 4. pp. 231-234 (In English).

Desnitskiy A.G. (2014) On a contribution of Boris Balinsky to the comparative and ecological embryology of amphibians. Russian Journal of Developmental Biology. Vol. 45. No 2. pp. 101-104 (In English).

Desnitskiy A.G. (2014) On the classification of the cleavage patterns in amphibian embryos. Russian Journal of Developmental Biology. Vol. 45. No 1. pp. 1-10 (In English).

Shelton D.E., Desnitskiy A.G. and Michod R.E. (2012) Distributions of reproductive and somatic cell numbers in diverse Volvox (Chlorophyta) species. Evolutionary Ecology Research. Vol. 14. No 6. pp. 707-727.

Desnitskiy A.G. (2012) On the diversity of the initial steps of embryonic development in anuran amphibians. Russian Journal of Herpetology. Vol. 19. No 3. pp. 221-231 (In English).

Desnitskiy A.G. (2011) On the diversity of the primary steps of embryonic development in the caudate amphibians. Russian Journal of Developmental Biology. Vol. 42. No 4. pp. 207-211 (In English).

 Desnitskiy A.G. (2011) Ontogenetic diversity and early development of frogs in the South American family Cycloramphidae. Phyllomedusa. Vol. 10. No 1. pp. 7-13.

Desnitskiy A.G. (2010) Evolutionary reorganizations of ontogenesis in related frog species of the family Myobatrachidae. Ontogenez (Russian Journal of Developmental Biology, Moscow). Vol. 41. No 3. pp. 133-138 (In English).

Herron M.D., Desnitskiy A.G. and Michod R.E. (2010) Evolution of developmental programs in Volvox (Chlorophyta). Journal of Phycology. Vol. 46. No 2. pp. 316-324.

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (2009) Volvox (Chlorophyta, Volvocales) as a model organism in developmental biology. Ontogenez (Russian Journal of Developmental Biology, Moscow). Vol. 40. No 4. pp. 238-241 (In English). to download reprint click here

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (2008) Volvox: evolutionary reorganizations of ontogeny in related species. (A book in Russian). St. Petersburg State University Press. pp. 1-164.

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (2008) On the ecological evolution of Volvox. Ontogenez (Russian Journal of Developmental Biology, Moscow). Vol. 39. No 2 pp. 122-124 (In English).

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (2006) Evolutionary reorganizations of ontogenesis in related species of coenobial volvocine algae. Ontogenez (Russian Journal of Developmental Biology, Moscow). Vol. 37. No 4. pp. 213-223. to download reprint click here

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (2006) Evolutionary reorganizations of ontogenesis in ascidians of the genus Molgula. Ontogenez (Russian Journal of Developmental Biology, Moscow). Vol. 37. No 2. pp. 63-68 (In English). to download reprint click here

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (2005) Book review: a Review of J.M.W. Slack. (2001). “Essential developmental biology”. Malden, Oxford, Carlton: Blackwell Publishing Co. Ontogenez (Russian Journal of Developmental Biology, Moscow). Vol. 36. No 6. p. 389 (In English).

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (2005) Evolutionary reorganizations of ontogenesis in the cavefish Astyanax (Teleostei, Characidae). Vestnik (Herald) of St. Petersburg State University, Ser. Biology. No 1. pp. 78-81 (In Russian).

 

Ussing P.A., Gordon R., Ector L., Buczkó K., Desnitskiy A.G. & VanLandingham S.L. (2005). The colonial diatom “Bacillaria paradoxa”: chaotic gliding motility, Lindenmeyer model of colonial morphogenesis, and bibliography, with translation of O.F. Müller (1783), “About a peculiar being in the beach-water”. Diatom Monographs Vol. 5, pp. 1-140 (In English).

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (2005) Evolutionary reorganizations of ontogenesis in sea urchins. Ontogenez (Russian Journal of Developmental Biology, Moscow). Vol. 36, No 3, pp. 145-151 (in English). to download preprint click here (errata).

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (2004) Evolutionary transformations of ontogenesis in anuran amphibians. Ontogenez (Russian Journal of Developmental Biology, Moscow). Vol. 35, No 3, pp 125-130 (in English); to download pdf click here. 

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (2003) Peculiarities of the geographical distribution of coenobial volvocine algae (Volvocaceae, Chlorophyta). Botanical Journal (St Petersburg). Vol. 88, No 11, pp. 52-61 (in Russian); for Abstract click here.

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (2003) A review of green microalgae of the genus Pleodorina. Vestnik (Herald) of St. Petersburg State University. No 3, pp. 98-102 (in Russian).

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (2002) Dormant stages of the green flagellate Volvox in a natural habitat. Ontogenez (Russian Journal of Developmental Biology, Moscow). Vol. 33, No 2, pp. 107-109 (in English); to download pdf click here.

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (2000) Development and reproduction of two species of the genus Volvox in a shallow temporary pool. Protistology. Vol. 1, No 4, pp. 195-198 (in English); to download pdf click here.

 

Desnitskiy A.G. and Desnitskaya V.N. (1997) On the calculations of growth rate in natural populations of phytoplankton. Botanical Journal. Vol. 82, No 7, pp. 133-137 (in Russian).

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (1997) The synopsis of the species of the genus Volvox. Vestnik (Herald) of St. Petersburg State University. No 24, pp. 19-29 (in Russian).

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (1997) On the evolution of Volvox. Vestnik (Herald) of St. Petersburg State University. No 17, pp. 3-7 (in Russian).

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (1996) Comparative analysis of cell differentiation mechanisms in the genus Volvox (Chlorophyta, Volvocales). Botanical Journal. Vol. 81, No 6, pp. 1-9 (in Russian).

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (1996) On the geographical distribution of the species of the genus Volvox (Chlorophyta, Volvocales). Botanical Journal. Vol. 81, No 3, pp. 28- 33 (in Russian).

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (1995) A review on the evolution of development in Volvox - morphological and physiological aspects. Europ. J. Protistol. Vol. 31, No 3, pp. 241-247 (in English); to download reprint click here

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (1995) On the origin of Metazoa. J. General Biology (Moscow). Vol. 56, No 5, pp. 629-631 (in English); to download reprint click here

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (1995) On the rate of cell divisions during asexual development in Volvox globator and Volvox spermatosphaera (Chlorophyta, Volvocales). Botanical Journal. Vol. 80, No 8, pp. 40-42 (in Russian).

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (1993) On the origins and early evolution of multicellularity. BioSystems. Vol. 29, No 2-3, pp. 129-132 (in English); to download click here

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (1992) Changes in the cell cycles during early embryogenesis of the Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum). Axolotl Newsletter (Indiana University Axolotl Colony, Bloomington, Indiana). No 21, pp. 20-22; to download reprint click here.

 

Desnitskiy A.G. (1992) Cellular mechanisms of the evolution of ontogenesis in Volvox. Arch. Protistenkd. Vol. 141, No 3, pp. 171-178 (in English); to download clik here

 

CURRICULUM VITAE

Alexey Grigoryevich Desnitskiy

Professor, St. Petersburg State University, Faculty of Biology, Department of Embryology. St. Petersburg, Russia

 

Senior Research Associate, St. Petersburg State University, Faculty of Biology, Biological Institute and Department of Embryology. St. Petersburg, Russia 

Education:

M. Sc., 1971, Leningrad State University (now St. Petersburg State University), Specialization in Biology, Zoology and Histology.

Thesis: "A study of DNA synthesis pattern during early development of the sea urchin".

 

Ph. D., 1975, Leningrad State University, Specialization in Cytology.

Dissertation: "Cell cycles during the early development of the Mexican axolotl".

 

Dr. Sc., 2007, Moscow State University, Specialization in Developmental Biology – Embryology.

Dissertation: “Evolutionary reorganizations of ontogeny in related species (exemplified by coenobial volvocine algae)”.

Professional Experience:

Doctoral student, Department of Cytology and Histology, Faculty of Biology,

Leningrad State University, 1971-1974.

 

Junior Research Associate, Laboratory of Experimental Cytology,

Biological Institute, Leningrad State University, 1974-1986.

 

Research Associate, Laboratory of Experimental Cytology and Department of

Embryology, Biological Institute, Leningrad State University, 1987-1991.

 

Senior Research Associate, Laboratory of Experimental Embryology and Department of

Embryology, Biological Institute, St. Petersburg State University, 1992 - present.

 

Visiting Research Professor, Department of Biology, Washington University in

St. Louis, MO, U.S.A., January 1993 - July 1993.

 

Associate Professor, Department of Embryology, Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University, 2007 - June 2009.

 

Professor, Department of Embryology, Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University, June 2009 - present.
 

Membership of Professional Societies:

Russian Botanical Society

Russian Protozoological Society

St. Petersburg's Association of Scientists