Marco Duenas
@marcoaduenas.bsky.social
•UC Berkeley PhD @ Merchant Lab
•F31 NIH Fellow
marcoduenas.org
•F31 NIH Fellow
marcoduenas.org
Reposted by Marco Duenas
Chromosome‐level #genome assembly of the #photobiont microalga Trebouxia sp. ‘A48’ from the #lichen Xanthoria parietina
📖 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
by Tagirdzhanova et al.
@metalichen.bsky.social @talbotlabtsl.bsky.social @WileyPlantSci
📖 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
by Tagirdzhanova et al.
@metalichen.bsky.social @talbotlabtsl.bsky.social @WileyPlantSci
November 11, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Chromosome‐level #genome assembly of the #photobiont microalga Trebouxia sp. ‘A48’ from the #lichen Xanthoria parietina
📖 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
by Tagirdzhanova et al.
@metalichen.bsky.social @talbotlabtsl.bsky.social @WileyPlantSci
📖 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
by Tagirdzhanova et al.
@metalichen.bsky.social @talbotlabtsl.bsky.social @WileyPlantSci
My personal website is now live! Come learn a little about me and my research 🧬🦠🐠🪸🐈!
marcoduenas.org
marcoduenas.org
Marco Alonzo Dueñas
Unlocking Biology, One Cell at a Time
marcoduenas.org
November 1, 2025 at 12:00 AM
My personal website is now live! Come learn a little about me and my research 🧬🦠🐠🪸🐈!
marcoduenas.org
marcoduenas.org
Reposted by Marco Duenas
The Merchant lab's paper describing the Auxenochlorella genome and genetic toolkit is now published in The Plant Cell!
I’m honored to have contributed to this project led by @rorycraig.bsky.social, Jeff Moseley, and @merchant-lab.bsky.social.
Check it out below!
academic.oup.com/plcell/advan...
I’m honored to have contributed to this project led by @rorycraig.bsky.social, Jeff Moseley, and @merchant-lab.bsky.social.
Check it out below!
academic.oup.com/plcell/advan...
Targeted genetic manipulation and yeast-like evolutionary genomics in the green alga Auxenochlorella
Auxenochlorella, green algae shaped by evolutionary forces acting on vegetative diploids, are amenable to discovery research and bioengineering via efficie
academic.oup.com
October 30, 2025 at 8:38 AM
The Merchant lab's paper describing the Auxenochlorella genome and genetic toolkit is now published in The Plant Cell!
I’m honored to have contributed to this project led by @rorycraig.bsky.social, Jeff Moseley, and @merchant-lab.bsky.social.
Check it out below!
academic.oup.com/plcell/advan...
I’m honored to have contributed to this project led by @rorycraig.bsky.social, Jeff Moseley, and @merchant-lab.bsky.social.
Check it out below!
academic.oup.com/plcell/advan...
The Merchant lab's paper describing the Auxenochlorella genome and genetic toolkit is now published in The Plant Cell!
I’m honored to have contributed to this project led by @rorycraig.bsky.social, Jeff Moseley, and @merchant-lab.bsky.social.
Check it out below!
academic.oup.com/plcell/advan...
I’m honored to have contributed to this project led by @rorycraig.bsky.social, Jeff Moseley, and @merchant-lab.bsky.social.
Check it out below!
academic.oup.com/plcell/advan...
Targeted genetic manipulation and yeast-like evolutionary genomics in the green alga Auxenochlorella
Auxenochlorella, green algae shaped by evolutionary forces acting on vegetative diploids, are amenable to discovery research and bioengineering via efficie
academic.oup.com
October 30, 2025 at 8:38 AM
The Merchant lab's paper describing the Auxenochlorella genome and genetic toolkit is now published in The Plant Cell!
I’m honored to have contributed to this project led by @rorycraig.bsky.social, Jeff Moseley, and @merchant-lab.bsky.social.
Check it out below!
academic.oup.com/plcell/advan...
I’m honored to have contributed to this project led by @rorycraig.bsky.social, Jeff Moseley, and @merchant-lab.bsky.social.
Check it out below!
academic.oup.com/plcell/advan...
Reposted by Marco Duenas
Excited to share my postdoc work @olzmannlab.bsky.social! We found lipid droplets, the cell’s lipid storage depots, are subject to oxidative damage and are protected by FSP1. Loss of FSP1 triggers droplet peroxidation and cell death, revealing a new layer of lipid quality control!
shorturl.at/B5XYD
shorturl.at/B5XYD
FSP1-mediated lipid droplet quality control prevents neutral lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis - Nature Cell Biology
Lange et al. identify a lipid droplet quality control pathway in which FSP1 safeguards stored neutral lipids from lipid peroxidation, thereby preventing the induction of ferroptosis.
www.nature.com
October 29, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Excited to share my postdoc work @olzmannlab.bsky.social! We found lipid droplets, the cell’s lipid storage depots, are subject to oxidative damage and are protected by FSP1. Loss of FSP1 triggers droplet peroxidation and cell death, revealing a new layer of lipid quality control!
shorturl.at/B5XYD
shorturl.at/B5XYD
Reposted by Marco Duenas
(6/6) Overall, we found that the “yeast-like” processes of allodiploid hybridisation, mitotic recombination, loss-of-heterozygosity and aneuploidy all occur in an alga, showing the generality of these forces to vegetatively diploid eukaryotes
October 29, 2025 at 6:59 AM
(6/6) Overall, we found that the “yeast-like” processes of allodiploid hybridisation, mitotic recombination, loss-of-heterozygosity and aneuploidy all occur in an alga, showing the generality of these forces to vegetatively diploid eukaryotes
Reposted by Marco Duenas
(5/6) We also saw aneuploidies in two strains and we successfully transformed a trisomic chromosome using an allele-specific construct. We’re hopeful that we can utilise these redundant chromosomes for synthetic biology by sequential introduction of transgenes
October 29, 2025 at 6:59 AM
(5/6) We also saw aneuploidies in two strains and we successfully transformed a trisomic chromosome using an allele-specific construct. We’re hopeful that we can utilise these redundant chromosomes for synthetic biology by sequential introduction of transgenes
Reposted by Marco Duenas
(4/6) Most remarkably, our reference strain UTEX 250 is an allodiploid hybrid of two close relatives, A. protothecoides and A. symbiontica, that are distinguished by highly rearranged karyotypes. The UTEX 250 sub-genomes have been further shuffled by rearrangements and recombination
October 29, 2025 at 6:59 AM
(4/6) Most remarkably, our reference strain UTEX 250 is an allodiploid hybrid of two close relatives, A. protothecoides and A. symbiontica, that are distinguished by highly rearranged karyotypes. The UTEX 250 sub-genomes have been further shuffled by rearrangements and recombination
Reposted by Marco Duenas
(3/6) Unlike most green algae, Auxenochlorella are vegetatively diploid and their genomes are shaped by evolutionary phenomena that reflect this. While these processes are well-understood in yeast, we were surprised to see extensive mitotic recombination and loss-of-heterozygosity in several strains
October 29, 2025 at 6:59 AM
(3/6) Unlike most green algae, Auxenochlorella are vegetatively diploid and their genomes are shaped by evolutionary phenomena that reflect this. While these processes are well-understood in yeast, we were surprised to see extensive mitotic recombination and loss-of-heterozygosity in several strains
Reposted by Marco Duenas
(2/6) We introduce selectable markers, inducible promoters and fluorescent reporters for protein localisation, and @marcoaduenas.bsky.social has written a protocol for HR-based transformation: dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.x54v922mql3e/v1. All credit to a team led by Jeff Moseley here
Transformation Protocol for Targeted Homologous Recombination in Auxenochlorella protothecoides
Detailed instructions for the introduction of targeted gene cassettes into the genome of Auxenochlorella Protothecoides using a lithium acetate transformation method. Following...
dx.doi.org
October 29, 2025 at 6:59 AM
(2/6) We introduce selectable markers, inducible promoters and fluorescent reporters for protein localisation, and @marcoaduenas.bsky.social has written a protocol for HR-based transformation: dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.x54v922mql3e/v1. All credit to a team led by Jeff Moseley here
Reposted by Marco Duenas
(1/6) First and foremost, Auxenochlorella spp. are oily green algae that can be readily transformed by homologous recombination, enabling efficient site-specific transformation of the nuclear genome. This is a first for chlorophytes, and we hope that it will facilitate lots of interesting research
October 29, 2025 at 6:59 AM
(1/6) First and foremost, Auxenochlorella spp. are oily green algae that can be readily transformed by homologous recombination, enabling efficient site-specific transformation of the nuclear genome. This is a first for chlorophytes, and we hope that it will facilitate lots of interesting research
Reposted by Marco Duenas
Excited to introduce Auxenochlorella as a new algal reference organism for fundamental plant science and bioengineering. A paper in two parts: a genetic toolkit for site-specific genomic manipulation, paired with the most unusual genome I’ve ever worked on
academic.oup.com/plcell/artic...
academic.oup.com/plcell/artic...
Targeted genetic manipulation and yeast-like evolutionary genomics in the green alga Auxenochlorella
Auxenochlorella, green algae shaped by evolutionary forces acting on vegetative diploids, are amenable to discovery research and bioengineering via efficie
academic.oup.com
October 29, 2025 at 6:59 AM
Excited to introduce Auxenochlorella as a new algal reference organism for fundamental plant science and bioengineering. A paper in two parts: a genetic toolkit for site-specific genomic manipulation, paired with the most unusual genome I’ve ever worked on
academic.oup.com/plcell/artic...
academic.oup.com/plcell/artic...
Reposted by Marco Duenas
Our large-scale biology article is out in @theplantcell.bsky.social! Dig into these rich datasets to see how light-induced stress not only impacts what algae do during the day, but also how it shapes their physiology and gene expression at night. doi.org/10.1093/plce...
Too dim, too bright, and just right: Systems analysis of the Chlamydomonas diurnal program under limiting and excess light
Chlamydomonas populations acclimate to low and high diurnal light and maintain altered photosystem abundance, thylakoid architecture, and non-photochemical
doi.org
June 5, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Our large-scale biology article is out in @theplantcell.bsky.social! Dig into these rich datasets to see how light-induced stress not only impacts what algae do during the day, but also how it shapes their physiology and gene expression at night. doi.org/10.1093/plce...
Reposted by Marco Duenas
Check out this piece I wrote with @qb3.bsky.social’s awesome science communication team *highlighting* (pun intended) recent work in @theplantcell.bsky.social by Valle Ojeda and yours truly! 🌱🦠🔬
What do algae do after a long day of photosynthesis?
The Sabeeha Merchant lab & @sunnyjoydupuis.bsky.social tracked them day & night. These tiny powerhouses prep for stress in their sleep—findings that could reshape how we see global carbon cycling.
Read more: bit.ly/QB3_algae
The Sabeeha Merchant lab & @sunnyjoydupuis.bsky.social tracked them day & night. These tiny powerhouses prep for stress in their sleep—findings that could reshape how we see global carbon cycling.
Read more: bit.ly/QB3_algae
June 9, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Check out this piece I wrote with @qb3.bsky.social’s awesome science communication team *highlighting* (pun intended) recent work in @theplantcell.bsky.social by Valle Ojeda and yours truly! 🌱🦠🔬
Reposted by Marco Duenas
You can learn more about the study's lead author, Daniel Wangpraseurt (a marine biologist at Scripps Oceanography), and his research below.
A Scientist’s Life: Marine biologist Daniel Wangpraseurt
YouTube video by Scripps Oceanography
www.youtube.com
May 14, 2025 at 9:13 PM
You can learn more about the study's lead author, Daniel Wangpraseurt (a marine biologist at Scripps Oceanography), and his research below.
Reposted by Marco Duenas
This month's interview is with Marco Dueñas! Marco is a PhD candidate in Sabeeha Merchant’s lab in @berkeleymcb.bsky.social and @natureatcal.bsky.social.
He chats with us about his recent paper in @pnas.org, overcoming research challenges, and more.
Read the story: bit.ly/m-duenas
He chats with us about his recent paper in @pnas.org, overcoming research challenges, and more.
Read the story: bit.ly/m-duenas
April 9, 2025 at 8:47 PM
This month's interview is with Marco Dueñas! Marco is a PhD candidate in Sabeeha Merchant’s lab in @berkeleymcb.bsky.social and @natureatcal.bsky.social.
He chats with us about his recent paper in @pnas.org, overcoming research challenges, and more.
Read the story: bit.ly/m-duenas
He chats with us about his recent paper in @pnas.org, overcoming research challenges, and more.
Read the story: bit.ly/m-duenas
Reposted by Marco Duenas
Thrilled to share that my first first-author paper is officially out as a PNAS direct submission! In this study, we uncovered the mechanism diving polycistronic expression in green algae! Come check it out below:
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
February 26, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Thrilled to share that my first first-author paper is officially out as a PNAS direct submission! In this study, we uncovered the mechanism diving polycistronic expression in green algae! Come check it out below:
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Marco Duenas
Nice analysis of bicistronic transcripts in green algae in @pnas.org, featuring our CDC26 - TTM3 pair previously identified by @lorenzoorts.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...
February 27, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Nice analysis of bicistronic transcripts in green algae in @pnas.org, featuring our CDC26 - TTM3 pair previously identified by @lorenzoorts.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Thrilled to share that my first first-author paper is officially out as a PNAS direct submission! In this study, we uncovered the mechanism diving polycistronic expression in green algae! Come check it out below:
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
February 26, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Thrilled to share that my first first-author paper is officially out as a PNAS direct submission! In this study, we uncovered the mechanism diving polycistronic expression in green algae! Come check it out below:
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
The Auxenochlorella genome is finally out in preprint form. This green alga has great genetic tools and precise gene targeting useful for both basic biology and engineering applications. I'm excited to have contributed to this, publication coming soon!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Allodiploid hybridization, loss-of-heterozygosity and aneuploidy in the green alga Auxenochlorella, an emerging model for discovery research and bioengineering
Auxenochlorella are diploid oleaginous green algae that are highly amenable to genetic transformation by homologous recombination, providing great potential for discovery research and bioengineering. ...
www.biorxiv.org
February 10, 2025 at 9:55 PM
The Auxenochlorella genome is finally out in preprint form. This green alga has great genetic tools and precise gene targeting useful for both basic biology and engineering applications. I'm excited to have contributed to this, publication coming soon!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Marco Duenas
Suggestion—call the Office of the Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions (HELP) Committee, chaired by LA Senator Bill Cassidy. Calmly explain that you are concerned further delays in NIH study section and advisory council meetings will do irreparable harm to US science/competitiveness: (202) 224-6770
January 28, 2025 at 5:33 AM
Suggestion—call the Office of the Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions (HELP) Committee, chaired by LA Senator Bill Cassidy. Calmly explain that you are concerned further delays in NIH study section and advisory council meetings will do irreparable harm to US science/competitiveness: (202) 224-6770
Super happy to share that I was awarded a NIH F31 NRSA Predoctoral Fellowship through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). For the rest of my PhD I will be a NIH fellow! This was a beast of a fellowship to write but am honored to be presented with this opportunity.
December 30, 2024 at 5:35 AM
Super happy to share that I was awarded a NIH F31 NRSA Predoctoral Fellowship through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). For the rest of my PhD I will be a NIH fellow! This was a beast of a fellowship to write but am honored to be presented with this opportunity.
I was honored to be able to present my work on the polycistronic project at the Bay Area RNA club at UCSF and be selected as one of the best talks! It was so much fun and I got to see so much cool research. Keep an eye out for more updates on the polycistronic to come!
December 30, 2024 at 5:33 AM
I was honored to be able to present my work on the polycistronic project at the Bay Area RNA club at UCSF and be selected as one of the best talks! It was so much fun and I got to see so much cool research. Keep an eye out for more updates on the polycistronic to come!