Nicholas Curtis
Nicholas Curtis
Post-doctoral Student, Pierce Lab
Contact
Office: BSF 259
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Email:
Education
Ph.D. Biology University of South Florida 2006
Research
I am currently working on a form of symbiosis between sacoglossan sea slugs and algal chloroplasts termed kleptoplasty or chloroplast symbiosis. In this unique symbiosis, sea slugs sequester chloroplasts from their algal food and store them in specialized cells lining the digestive diverticula. The chloroplasts remain photosynthetically active in the slug cells, providing the animal with sustenance for up to 3-4 months in one species (E. clarki) and for an incredible 9 months in another E. chlorotica . We are studying the molecular mechanisms that allow this symbiosis to persist, and are currently investigating the intriguing possibility that nuclear algal genes have been transferred to the slug genome.
Recent Publications
Curtis, N. E., S. E. Massey and S. K. Pierce. 2006. The symbiotic chloroplasts in the sacoglossan Elysia clarki are from several algal species. J. Invert. Biol . (In press).
Curtis, N. E., S. K. Pierce, S. E. Massey, J. A. Schwartz and T. K. Maugel. 2006. The intracellular, functional chloroplasts in adult sea slugs ( Elysia clarki ) come from several algal species, and are also different from those in juvenile slugs. Mar. Biol. (In press)
Pierce, S. K., N. E. Curtis, S. E. Massey A L. Bass, S. A. Karl and C. Finney. 2006. Morphological and molecular differences between lettuce sea slugs from the Florida Keys and the Virgin Islands . Molluscan Res . (In press).
Pierce, S. K., S. E. Massey, N. E. Curtis, G. N. Smith, Jr., C. Olavarria and T. K. Maugel. 2004. Microscopic, biochemical and molecular characteristics of the Chilean Blob and a comparison with the remains of other sea monsters: Nothing but whales. Biol. Bull. 206: 125-133.
Pierce, S. K, S. E. Massey, J. J. Hanten and N. Curtis. 2003. Horizontal transfer of functional nuclear genes between multicellular organisms. Biol. Bull. 204: 237-240