Profiles of Principal Investigator: Filip Husnik
Profiles of our former member: ECBSU Alumni
Members
Vivienne Wen Gao
Research Intern (Oct.2024-Mar.2025)
BSc in Marine Biology, Northeastern University, USA
MSc in Marine Biology, Northeastern University, USA
I joined the Husnik Unit because I am interested in using bioinformatic analyses to study the evolutionary history of marine organisms and their symbionts. During my OIST internship, I will learn to use bioinformatics tools to conduct various population genomic analyses for two species of zoanthid corals. My research interests are broadly focused on the evolution of marine organisms and their future under climate change conditions. Last year, I worked as a research assistant at Trinity College Dublin studying the ecological and economic impacts of seaweed aquaculture and the population structure of kelp species around Ireland. For my MSc thesis, I focused on the population genetics of sympatric brown trout populations in Northern Ireland. In my free time, I spend a lot of time snorkeling, running (I am training for a marathon!), cooking and trying new recipes, learning Japanese and reading :).
Michelle Leger
Staff Scientist
Email: Email
PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Dalhousie University, Canada
MSc in Genetics from the University of British Columbia, Canada
BSc in Genetics from the University of York, U.K.
I am interested in the early evolution of eukaryotes, and in mitochondrial origins, evolution, and diversity. Animals, fungi and plants make up only a small fraction of eukaryotic lineages, and so in order to study these questions across eukaryotic diversity, my research focuses on protists - diverse, mainly microbial organisms that collectively make up the majority of eukaryotes.
For my PhD I studied modified mitochondria in protists inhabiting low-oxygen environments at Dalhousie University (Canada), and for my earlier postdoctoral research I studied protists closely related to animals with a view to understanding animal origins at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (Barcelona, Spain). At the ECBSU I hope to study the variety of interactions between mitochondria and more recently established endosymbionts.
I love swimming and snorkeling, exploring new hiking trails, terrible puns, and doodling (including terrible visual puns). Any cat pictures shared with Yi-Kai Fang should be cc’d to me.
Anastasia Borodina
Ph.D. student (Rotation Student Jan-May 2024)
BSc. and MSc. in Biology, Voronezh State University, Russia
My path in biology began with research in biophysics. As an undergraduate student, I studied the patterns of structural organization of glycosidases: internal cavities, tunnels, and pores in the composition of monomers and dimers of exo- and endoinulinases. As a master's candidate, I was inspired by research in the field of protistology, and my master's thesis was devoted to the study of morphology, ecology, and molecular phylogeny of telonemids. I am interested in reconstructing the phylogenetic tree and the early evolution of eukaryotes through genomic and morphological studies of protists, as well as in studying their biodiversity and ecology. Apart from my research, I am passionate about learning to play musical instruments, hiking, painting watercolors, and learning Spanish and Arabic.
Arno Hagenbeek
Ph.D. Student (Rotation Student May-Aug 2022)
MSc. in Bioinformatics, Wageningen University, Netherlands
BSc. & MSc. in Biology, Wageningen University, Netherlands
I am interested in microbial biology, particularly microbe-microbe and microbe-host interactions. I am especially intrigued by symbiotic microbiomes as they usually involve a complex network of interactions between the microbes as well as the hosting organism. Previously, I have analyzed microbiomes in a wide variety of organisms, ranging from Arabidopsis rhizosphere to the human intestine. For my Ph.D. thesis in the Husnik unit, I aim to map the microbiomes of microscopic marine invertebrates which remain highly understudied. In my free time, I enjoy playing piano, hiking, and martial arts.
Yong Heng Phua
Ph.D. Student (Rotation Student May-Aug 2022)
BSc. in Biology, Hokkaido University, Japan
I have been working on different species of benthic dinoflagellates (Coolia, Ostreopsis, and Amphidinium spp.) during my undergraduate course. I have also worked for five months as a research intern in the Husnik Unit and started exploring the role of bacterial symbionts in diverse aspects of dinoflagellate biology (e.g. toxin production or photosynthesis). During my rotation, I plan to explore symbiotic interactions between marine dinoflagellates from Okinawa and their endosymbionts. When I am not working, I am usually cooking or hiking in the mountains.
Javier Tejeda Mora
PhD Student
BSc. in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, UNAM, Mexico
I am interestred in the underlaying paterns that hide within the sea of information that recent techniques have allowed access to. I did my bachelor thesis project at CICESE in Mexico where I was introduced to metabolomics. I analyzed data from metabolites of a wide range of microorganisms. During my PhD in the Husnik Unit, my aim is to perform metabolomics analyses that will help to elucidate diverse host-symbiont interactions. Outside of work I enjoy sports (mainly those that involve a raquet) and videogames.
Vera Emelianenko
Ph.D. student (Rotation Student Jan - Apr 2023)
BSc. in Biology, Moscow State University, Russia
I am broadly interested in marine invertebrates and their relationships with symbionts. During my rotation, I will compare Symbiodiniaceae distribution across different hosts (corals, foraminifera, possibly clams) and environments (seawater and sediment). Besides that, I am extremely curious to know what kinds of animals you can find in different environments around Okinawa, so I’ll be also helping with Arno’s project exploring marine and mangrove meiofauna. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, snorkeling, and diving (still haven’t done it much in Okinawa!), also trying to learn photography and social dancing (such as salsa and west coast swing).
Pradeep Palanichamy
PhD Student
MSc. in Applied Microbiology, Vellore Institute of Technology, India
B.Tech in Biotechnology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India
I have a long-term scientific interest and fascination for insect-microbe symbiosis because it can provide novel avenues for the control of agricultural pest insects through targeted manipulation of the symbionts or the insect-symbiont associations. In particular, I am interested in studying the functional role of bacterial endosymbionts and other microbes in insects adaptation, nutrition, defense, metabolism, detoxification, immune functions and pest control. Insect symbionts can be also interesting sources of biotechnological applications. In the Husnik Unit, my research focuses on the interplay between scale insects and their symbiotic microbes using microscopy, molecular and omics techniques. Apart from work, I enjoy cricket, football, table tennis and playing video games.
Jinyeong Choi
Postdoctoral Scholar
PhD & MSc. in Entomology, Seoul National University, South Korea
BSc. in Applied Biology, Kangwon National University, South Korea
I am interested in the evolution of plant-feeding insects and their microbial symbionts. Specifically, my research focuses on understanding the role of symbiont replacements and host niche expansion on diversification of scale insects. Previously, I have studied the taxonomy and phylogeny of scale insects, especially mealybugs (Pseudococcidae) and soft scales (Coccidae). In my research, I try to combine comparative genomics, microscopy, insect systematics, ecology, and phylogenomics to approach my scientific questions. To have even more fun, I enjoy outdoors activities such as swimming, skin diving, fly fishing, as well as collecting scale insects!
Yi-Kai Fang
Research Technician
MSc & PhD in Microbiology, Chang Gung University, Taiwan
BSc. in Medical Technology, Chang Gung University, Taiwan
I studied in medical parasitology, mostly Trichomonas vaginalis, and mitochondrial-related organelle (MRO) hydrogenosome in my PhD in Taiwan. My previously work in Charles University, Czech Republic, leads me into a more fascinating world, protistology. By using proteomics and immunofluorescence assay, the complexity and beauty of these small creatures were revealed. I am now gazing around in this interesting world and seeing where it will take me to.
I am a cat person and wishing to discover more feline friends in Okinawa. If you have your own cats, please share their cuteness with me. I also like baseball and play slow-pitch softball. If you like them as well, we can go together for exercise or watch games sometime.
Yumiko Masukagami
Research Technician
PhD in Veterinary Microbiology, University of Melbourne, Australia
BSc. in Veterinary Science, University of Miyazaki, Japan
I am interested in host-symbiont interactions and reductive genome evolution in bacteria. My research focuses on how the simplest self-replicating bacteria such as Mycoplasma spp. persist in the host and how bacteria become symbiotic in the host cells. I previously worked as a postdoc at the National Institute of Animal Health in Tsukuba and in the Membranology Unit at OIST. Apart from science, I enjoy my time with family and our cats, badminton, and exploring Okinawa.
Sachie Matsuoka
Research Unit Administrator
I've been working as an RUA ever since I moved to Okinawa in 2013. I'm grateful for the chance to be a part of ECBSU from Oct.2022, and hope to contribute to unit operation in some way. I'm interested in all living creatures (particularly birds), folk crafts, farming, and marine activities.