Thermophilic ostracods are extreme survivors in improbable places

Some species of podocopid ostracods live in thermal hot springs, reaching temperatures of up to 55C! I'm working to develop these stressed-out guys into 'hot' new model organisms. So far, they're happy in peanut butter jars with complete neglect. Ask me about running thermal trials in thermocylers, and also about upcoming collaborations with Fish & Wildlife to compare multiple lineages of thermophiles

Anhydrobiosis in podocopid ostracods 

Podocopid ostracods invaded freshwater multiple times, but the extreme among them invaded vernal pool environments. Vernal pools are ephemeral puddles that dry out seasonally. Several lineages of these tiny crustaceans evolved anhydrobiosis (life without water) independently. By studying the convergence of this ability, I will learn what is necessary for molecular stability against a background of extreme stress.

Are mantis shrimp mushroom bodies similar to insects, or something new?

​When is a mantis shrimp like a cockroach? We are looking at convergence in brain regions called mushroom bodies between hexapods and crustaceans. Mushroom bodies play a role in olfaction and memory in insects. Mantis shrimp surprised everyone by having mushroom bodies in their brains, too! But are these structures homologous or convergent? Thanks to a grant from Parse Biosciences, we are using single-nuclei sequencing to find out!

Mushroom bodies are fascinating to me because their performance changes with the application of other stresses, like hunger, especially during development. I am currently diving into the data generated by single-nuclei sequencing of brains from mantis shrimp, cockroaches, ostracods, and copepods. We did dissect 24 cockroaches. My post-bac may never forgive me for that. 
(Images by Silke Baron and Sharad Punita)