To begin to study the molecular basis of supergiant formation and reversion, Daniele sequenced hand-picked supergiants, normal morphs, recently reverted cells, and cells of intermediate morphology. He found that the developmental cycle corresponds to cyclic expression of distinct gene clusters.

8/n

Supergiant formation and reversion are both regulated, with supergiants able to continue to divide to produce more supergiants, or rapidly revert in the absence of large prey or with abundant small prey items, producing up to 16 normal morphs even without additional prey or nutrients.

7/n

Naturally, we were curious about when and how supergiants form. This was tricky to figure out. Mahara Mtawali, Vittorio Boscaro, and I tried many conditions before finally finding that supergiants form stochastically following a phase of rapid growth just as small prey items begin to dwindle.

6/n

Supergiants are not only morphologically distinct but are also behaviorally distinct. In addition to their obvious raptorial feeding behavior, which contrasts with the standard filter feeding of normal morphs, supergiants display altered motility patterns, including feeble swimming performance.

5/n

We found that this Euplotes isolate was in fact a previously undescribed species, displaying a highly polymorphic phenotype, including supergiant cannibals and also winged, "defensive" morphs, captured by SEM by Sam Lord. We named the species "gigatrox" in reference to the fierce supergiants.

4/n

After picking cells to start cultures and then neglecting them for weeks, I began to notice the sporadic appearance of very large cells. During a visit to the Keeling lab, Vittorio Boscaro suggested these cells might be cannibals, as described in other protist species including some Euplotes.

3/n

This all started some time ago during fieldwork at CARMABI in Curaçao. I decided to take a sample from an old water table filter (after getting the suggestion from both Patrick Keeling and Nipam Patel). I was happy to find some Euplotes cells...

Thanks @coralsci.bsky.social for the filter!

2/n

What could be more exciting than watching Euplotes scurry around under the microscope? How about adding some raptorial predation by supergiant cannibal cells?

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Video by Vittorio Boscaro.

1/n

A haiku composed by Hannah Brannan, inspired by recent slime mold sightings:

Protists sneak, small and
ferocious in the mulches,
and in the water.

Sometimes you don't even need a microscope to find cool protists. Nice bloom of the venerable myxomycete Fuligo septica, a.k.a. dog vomit slime mold. This structure, the aethelium, is the encrusted fruiting body of the plasmodial slime mold. Not surprising that these were once thought to be sponges

Artistically talented, social media averse
@dsboothacosta.bsky.social lab member Fredrick Leon was recently kind enough to make me some stylized Euplotes cartoons. One of them looked like it was going for a high five, so I couldn't help but make a small alteration

That magical time of the year when Costco has giant tubs of golden chanterelles. Always reminds me of one of the greatest meals I ever had. Pasta with chanterelles and garlic, field salad, and homebrew. Simple but perfect. All foraged, grown, and/or made by a cantankerous eco-anarchist farmer friend

Felt very special to give a seminar in the physics department at my alma mater, Reed College. Wonderful to catch up with former professors, meet new folks, and see what has and hasn't changed around campus.
Also had the chance to do some quick sampling and found a bunch of Euplotes...

A bit of cell motility. Movement patterns of four different Euplotes species, vannus, parkei, eurystomus, aediculatus, visualized by max intensity projections of background subtracted dark field video recordings over 10s.

Chemotaxis

Appears the science crew is assembling, so thought I might do a quick intro. I use microscopes, math, and field work to study how cells control shape and movement. Mostly, I am obsessed with protists and their fascinatingly complex behaviors. Posting primarily science and maybe a bit of fly fishing.