William C. Ratcliff

The paper quantifies T6SS prevalence in Gram-negative bacteria using genome analysis and finds it is present in 41% of well-sampled genera.

This study shows obligate multicellularity reduces population genetic barriers to collective adaptation in yeast by enabling rapid group size increases through whole genome duplication.

The paper identifies cell division timing as a key factor influencing multicellular morphology and size in snowflake yeast, showing that asynchronous division leads to smaller clusters due to increased mechanical stress.

The paper explores how the transition from RNA-based to protein-based life resolved evolutionary conflicts within protocells by establishing the genome as the heritable unit.

The paper shows that the fitness costs of reproductive specialization decrease with organism size, using a population genetic framework and empirical data from algae.

This study models multicellular life cycles using intrinsic information sources and finds inherent trade-offs between flexibility and regularity in their regulation.

This paper introduces SPI, a super-resolution microscopy technique that enables real-time, high-throughput imaging with minimal post-processing.

The paper shows that partner fidelity enhances mutualistic benefits but is not required for their evolution in yeast.

This study shows that metabolically-driven fluid flows in yeast clusters enable exponential growth by overcoming nutrient transport limitations, mimicking circulatory systems without genetic adaptations.

This study shows that diploid yeast under selection for larger multicellular size rapidly undergoes spontaneous whole-genome duplication, which persists and facilitates adaptation through increased genetic variation.

This study shows that genetic assortment in yeast evolved indirectly through cell-level selection, not directly for collective-level benefits, revealing constraints on aggregative multicellularity.

This study shows oxygen-binding proteins enhance fitness in larger organisms under high oxygen conditions by improving oxygen diffusion efficiency.

The paper examines the genetic structure and somatic mutation dynamics in Pando, a large clonal aspen, using sequencing across multiple tissues and spatial scales.

This study experimentally evolves cuboidal cell packing in fission yeast, showing it leads to multicellular clusters with heritable group size and responses to group-level selection.

The paper proposes a non-adaptive hypothesis explaining the evolution of complex multicellularity in eukaryotes by linking it to genetic drift and mutational biases.

This study shows that programmed cell death can enhance microbial bet-hedging by promoting phenotypic diversification through population turnover and spatial structure.