dgold – Page 5 – DavidAdlerGold.com

NSF CAREER Grant Funded!

We have received confirmation that the proposal “An Evolutionary Framework for the Molecular Fossil Record” has been funded through a National Science Foundation CAREER Award! This generous grant allows us to expand our research on the interpretation of chemical “biomarkers” preserved in ancient rocks. The study of these biomarkers is critical for natural resource exploration, identifying sources of pollution, reconstructing the history of life on Earth, and even when looking for signs of life on Mars. While scientists are very good at identifying the biosignatures contained in rocks, there is a lot of disagreement when it comes to determining what sort of organism made each compound. Our project uses the latest tools in genetics to identify what groups of living […]

890 million year old sea sponges?

A fossil discovered in northwestern Canada could rewrite the early history of animal life — but some palaeontologists are not convinced it’s real. What does Dr. Gold think of this sure-to-be controversial fossil find? Check out the recent news coverage in the journal Nature to find out.

What can jellyfish teach scientists about aging?

Dr. Gold was recently invited to talk about this at Oxford University’s LivingLongerBetter seminar series. The talk was, of course, virtual. But the positive side is that the talk was easy to record! You can watch it at YouTube.

New Paper: Untangling cytochrome P450 genes in early animals

Dr. Gold had the pleasure of collaborating with a great team of scientists studying the cytochrome P450 genes in a sea anemone, coral, jellyfish, and hydra. This huge set of genes plays roles in everything from chemical defenses to metabolism to steroid synthesis. Untangling the relationships between all the P450 genes was a massive undertaking, but it will be a valuable resource for further research. Congratulations to Joanna Wilson at McMaster University for spearheading the effort. You can read the paper at the journal Scientific Reports.

New Paper: Jellyfish stinging cells are controlled by light

Dr. Gold’s latest paper is now online. This was a collaboration with Todd Oakley’s lab at UC Santa Barbara, led by his former student (and now Yale Postdoc) Natasha Picciani. Even though most cnidarians (sea anemones, corals, jellyfish and hydras) lack eyes, many diverse species use light to control their stinging cells. This light reception likely set the stage for the evolution of eyes in multiple cnidarian groups. If you want to learn more check out the paper at Ecology & Evolution.

Welcoming Chris to the lab

The Gold lab is thrilled to welcome our newest member, Chris Mulligan. Chris comes from Julio Sepúlveda’s lab at the University of Colorado Boulder. You can learn more about Chris on our Person page.