My research focuses on the biology of dicyemids that are parasites of the cephalopod kidney and have long been known to occupy a phylogenetical position between monocellular protozoans and multicellular metazoans. Because of its very simple body composed of 20 to 40 cells, dicyemids would serve as the simplest model system for the study of cell differentiation and morphogenesis in multicellular animals. I have been studied systematics, morphology, embryology, phylogeny, life history of dicyemids, and their relation to host cephalopods in order to construct "the biology of dicyemid mesozoans". |
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