DavidAdlerGold.com

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.

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.

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.