From sea to human health: exploring the molecular basis of dinoflagellate toxicity.

Dinoflagellates are cosmopolitan unicellular eukaryotes found in both marine and freshwater habitats. They are also one of the main causative agents of Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB), toxic explosive population expansions. Field and lab-based studies have shown that environmental conditions are major contributors to dinoflagellate proliferation and toxicity. However the molecular processes involved in thier proliferation and toxicity remain poorly understood. We are looking for a PhD candidate to work on the mechanisms underlying cell proliferation and toxin biosynthesis in the dinoflagellate Ostreopsis cf. ovata.