Symbiodinium: the evolutionary transition to coral reef symbiont

珊瑚礁是由珊瑚宿主和共生藻属甲藻之间的共生关系维持的。在环境压力下，这种共生关系的崩溃导致珊瑚漂白和最终死亡。该项目旨在了解甲藻基因组如何进化以支持共生生活方式。该项目旨在对珊瑚礁和其他宿主以及两种自由生活的亲戚的共生藻基因组进行测序。这应该能够识别已经获得或丢失的基因，或者处于适应性选择之下的基因。这种共生生活方式的进化所涉及的分子系统的基因组规模的角度有可能为保护澳大利亚大堡礁面临气候变化的战略提供信息。

Coral reefs are sustained by symbiosis between the coral host and dinoflagellates of genus Symbiodinium. Breakdown of this symbiosis under environmental stress results in coral bleaching and eventual death. This project aims to understand how dinoflagellate genomes have evolved to support a symbiotic lifestyle. The project aims to sequence genomes of Symbiodinium from reef corals and other hosts, and two free-living relatives. This should enable the identification of genes that have been gained or lost, or are under adaptive selection. This genome-scale perspective on the molecular systems implicated in the evolution of this symbiotic lifestyle has potential to inform strategies for preserving Australia's Great Barrier Reef in the face of climate variations.