Phillip Cleves, Assistant Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development, and his lab used their new state-of-the-art laboratory to uncover clues about how the symbiotic relationship between algae and corals evolved.
Excerpt from Berkeley News: "A research team at UC Berkeley has now answered a major question in coral biology: How are algae able to thrive inside the cells of coral? The finding could lead to new insights into why algae and coral are failing to thrive symbiotically and suggest ways to reestablish the connection and save the world’s reefs." Read the full UC Berkeley News article here.
Image: Phillip Cleves, assistant professor of molecular and cell biology, standing next to one of the saltwater aquaria in which he raises coral that spawn throughout the year.
Photo credit: Brandon Sanchez Mejia for UC Berkeley