People

Helena Parra-Acero
PhD student; ERC contract

I did my undergraduate at the Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain. I joined the MCG lab in July 2012.
I am currently working in trying to understand the role of integrins in the unicellular relatives of Metazoa.

 +34 93.230.95.00-ext. 6026
 helena.parra@ibe.upf-csic.es

 

 

David López-Escardó
PhD student; ERC contract

I did my undergraduate at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. I joined the MCG lab in October 2012.
I am currently analyzing single-cell amplified genomes from choanoflagellates.

+34 93.230.95.00-ext. 6026
 david.lopez@ibe.upf-csic.es

 

Meritxell Antó
Lab manager

I joined the lab in January 2013. Besides the management of the lab, I collaborate in several projects of the different lines of research.

+34 93.230.95.00 (ext. 6026)
 meritxell.anto@ibe.upf-csic.es

Núria Ros
PhD student, FPU fellowship

I did my undergraduate at the Universitat de Vic. I joined the MCG lab in June 2014.
I’m trying to understand the role of some transcription factors in Capsaspora owczarzaki, as well as developing a transfection protocol for this organism.

+34 93.230.95.00-ext. 6026
nuria.ros@ibe.upf-csic.es

 

Sebastián R. Najle
Postdoctoral fellow; Moore Foundation contract

I joined the MCG lab in November 2014.
I’m working on functional analyses of several proteins in Capsaspora and Creolimax and developing single-cell RNA-seq protocols for these and other organisms.

+34 93.230.95.00-ext. 6037
sebastian.najle@upf.edu

 

 

Alicia S. Arroyo
PhD student; MINECO contract

I joined the MCG lab in July 2015. I did my undergraduate at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. My aim is to unravel the whole diversity of unicellular opisthokonts and animals by using metabarcoding data from Tara Oceans, and Biomarks, as well as by sequencing fresh-water environments.

+34 93.230.95.00-ext. 6026
 alicia.arroyo@ibe.upf-csic.es

Eduard Ocaña Pallarès
PhD student; FPI fellowship

I joined MCG lab in September 2015. I did my undergraduate and master studies at the Universitat de Barcelona (UB). I am using comparative genomics to understand the origins of multicellularity in fungi and animals.

+34 93.230.95.00-ext. 6026
eduard.ocana@ibe.upf-csic.es

 

Alberto Pérez Posada
PhD student; La Caixa fellowship

I joined the lab in October 2015. I am developing genetic tools for Capsaspora for further studies in cell signalling in unicellular holozoans.

+34 93.230.95.00-ext. 6026
 alberto.perez@upf.edu

 

Maria Ferrer Bonet
Research Assistant – ERC contract

Joined the MCG lab in March 2016. I handle the resources generated from the projects, provide technical help in different projects and advice on the outreach output.

+34 93.230.95.00-ext. 6014
 maria.ferrer@upf.edu

Aleksandra Kozyczkowska
Research associate – Moore Foundation contract

I joined the MCG lab in April 2016. I am working in the development of genetic tools in Capsaspora and Creolimax.

+34 93.230.95.00 (ext. 6026)
aleksandra.kozyczkowska@ibe.upf-csic.es

Andrej Ondracka
Postdoctoral Researcher – Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant

Joined the MCG lab in June 2016. I’m working on genome regulation in ichthyosporeans.

+34 93.230.95.00-ext. 6037
andrej.ondracka@upf.edu

Konstantina Mitsi

Predoctoral Researcher – Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant

I joined the MCG lab in September 2016. I will work in single-cell genomics and transcriptomics of opisthokonts.
+34 93.230.95.00-ext. 6026
konstantina.mitsi@ibe.upf-csic.es

Michelle Leger
Postdoctoral Researcher – Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant

I joined the MCG lab in November 2016. I’m exploring the distribution and function of apoptosis-related elements in unicellular opisthokonts, to shed light on the origins of the apoptotic machinery of animals.

+34 93.230.95.00-ext. 6037
michelle.leger@upf.edu

Omaya Dudin
Postdoctoral Researcher – FNSNF grant

I joined the lab in 2017 after an undergrad at the University of Grenoble and a PhD at the University of Lausanne. I’m interested in the cytoskeletal changes requiered during the unicellular to multicellular transition. In parallel, I’m developing novel genetic tools to understand multicellularity stabilization using experimental evolution.

+34 93.230.95.00-ext. 6037
omaya.dudin@outlook.com

Dan Richter
Postdoctoral Researcher – Beatriu de Pinós Fellowship

I joined the lab in February, 2018, arriving from the Station Biologique de Roscoff, France. I study the biology, community structure and evolution of the most abundant microbial eukaryotes in the surface ocean.

+34 93.230.95.00-ext. 6026
Google Scholar
 daniel.richter@ibe.upf-csic.es

Alfonso Mendaña

Master student

I did my undergraduate at the Universidad del País Vasco. I joined the MCG lab in October 2017. I’m trying to understand the function of transcription factors Myc and Max in Capsaspora owczarzaki.

+34 93.230.95.00-ext. 6037
alfonsomengo@hotmail.com

Former members

Xavier Grau i Bové (2012-2018). Master, PhD and postdoc.
Maria Rubio Brotons (2016-17). Lab technician. Currently in ZE clinics.
Matija Harcet (2013-16). Postdoctoral Researcher.
Cristina Aresté Calero (2015-16). Postdoctoral Researcher.
Xavi Florenza (2015-2016). Master’s student. Awarded PhD ITN Marie Curie grant in Uppsala (Sweden).
Marta Ledesma (summer 2016). Undergraduate student.
Maria Buendía (summer 2016). Undergraduate student.
Gema Blasco (Jan2015-Mar2016). Lab technician. Currently in the Genetics Department of the Universitat de Barcelona.
Xènia Pérez Sitjà (Summer 2015). Undergraduate student.
Lourdes Riquelme (2014), màster student, Universitat Autonòma de Barcelona.
Ferran Porté (summer 2013), Joves i Ciència from CatalunyaCaixa. Project: Developing genetic tools in ichthyosporeans.
Núria Ros (summer 2012). Undergraduate student. Universitat de Vic. Project: Developing genetic tools in Capsaspora.
Alan Ordoño (summer 2012). Joves i Ciència from CatalunyaCaixa. Project: Developing genetic tools in Capsaspora.
Maria José Mazón (2012). Research associate.
Alexandre Prats (July 2012). Undergraduate student. 
Diego Mallo (April-July 2012). Visiting researcher from David Posada’s lab.
Javier del Campo (2011-2013), postdoctoral researcher. Currently at University of British Columbia with a Marie Curie postdoctoral grant.
Gemma Prunés (summer 2011), program Joves i Ciència from CatalunyaCaixa.
John Shadwick (2010-2011), graduate researcher. Currently an assistant professor at University of Arkansas.
Lora Lindley (2010-2011), postdoc. Currently at University of Arkansas.
Núria Sánchez-Pons (2009-2013). Postdoc. Development of transgenesis tools in Capsaspora.
Jordi Paps (2009-2010), postdoc. Currently group leader at University of Essex (UK).
Lluis Medina-Chacón (2009-2010), master student.
Hiroshi Suga (2008-2014). Currently group leader at Prefectural University of Hiroshima (Japan).
Romain Derelle (2008-2009), postdoc. Currently at CRG.
Alex Pérez (2008-2009), lab manager. Currently 454 representative at Roche-Spain.
Alex de Mendoza (2008-2014), PhD and postdoc. Awarded an EMBO postdoctoral grant.
Guifré Torruella (2008-2014), PhD. Awarded a Marie Curie  postdoctoral grant.
Arnau Sebé-Pedrós (2008-2015), PhD and postdoc. Awarded an EMBO postdoctoral grant.

A list of some of our friends and current collaborators

Nick Brown, University of Cambridge, UK.

Takaaki Kai, Prefecural University of Hiroshima, Japan.

Nicole King, UC Berkeley, USA.

Andrew J. Roger, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.

Cathrine Sumathi, National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, India.

Franz Lang, Université de Montreal, Canada.

Gertraud Burger, Université de Montreal, Canada.

Stuart Donachie, University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA.

Kamran Shalchian-Tabrizi, University of Oslo, Norway.

Duojia Pan, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.

José Luis Gómez-Skarmeta, CABD, Sevilla, Spain.

Maja Adamska, Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, Bergen, Norway.

Todd Miller, Stony Brook University, USA.

Phil Donoghue, University of Bristol, UK.

David Posada, Universidad de Vigo, Spain.

Richard Paley, Cefas, UK.

Ariadna Sitjà-Bobadilla, Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre de la Sal, Castellón, Spain.

Crisanto Gutierrez, Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa”, Spain.

Jordi Paps, University of Essex, UK.

Kevin J. Perterson, Darmouth College, USA.

Colomban de Vargas, Station Biologique de Roscoff, France.

Tom Richards, University of Exeter, UK.

Fernando Rodríguez Pascual, Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa”, Spain.

Purificación López-García & David Moreira, France.