Pawel Burkhardt

This study investigates how conspecific density and food availability influence precocious reproduction in Mnemiopsis leidyi larvae, showing density has the strongest effect.

The paper investigates TRP channel diversity in choanoflagellates, finding ancestral TRP repertoires and spatial segregation, suggesting evolutionary precursors to animal sensory systems.

This study identifies a conserved ladder-like nerve net in modern and extinct ctenophores, suggesting ancient nervous system architecture retained through evolution.

The paper develops a toolkit of membrane-localising tags tested across ten animal species to identify effective signals for targeting proteins to the plasma membrane.

This study reveals the cellular architecture of the ctenophore aboral organ using electron microscopy, showing synaptic and non-synaptic communication and functional convergence.

The paper uses volume electron microscopy to reconstruct the neural network of the ctenophore statocyst, revealing its coordinating role in gravity sensing.

This study shows that the RNA labeling compound EU integrates into DNA in some animal species, raising concerns about its specificity for RNA labeling.

The paper studies electrical signaling and coordinated behavior in choanoflagellates, revealing ciliary arrest and colony-wide contraction linked to calcium transients.

This study shows that the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi can reverse development from mature to early life stages after stress and feeding, challenging previous assumptions about reverse development being limited to cnidarians.

This study shows that Lsd1 is essential for neural cell differentiation in Nematostella vectensis, suggesting ancient chromatin regulation in animal development.

The paper identifies 18 cell types in sponges, including neuroid cells with synaptic gene expression, suggesting early neuro-immune system evolution.

The paper identifies the origin of a novel exocytic transport mechanism in early animal evolution, tracing SPIRE function to choanoflagellates and showing its role in coordinating actin/myosin forces for cellular communication.