In her new project, Sørensen will explore how tightly integrated interactions between microorganisms emerge and evolve over time. By focusing on protist models, namely the Paramecium-Chlorella endosymbiosis that can be used to study the initial integration of independent partners into an endosymbiosis, and Paulinella chromatophora thatcan provide unique insights into the endosymbiont to organelle transition, she aims to uncover the molecular foundations of these relationships – from high-resolution imaging of individual cells to monitoring interactions in the field. Her work will shed light on fundamental evolutionary processes that continue to shape ecosystems and life on Earth. The project will engage with all CeMESS divisions, contributing to the Centre as a whole.
About Megan Sørensen
Megan received her PhD from the University of Sheffield, UK, and worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Stockholm and Uppsala University, Sweden. She then held an EMBO and a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions postdoctoral fellowship at Heinrich-Heine University in Düsseldorf, Germany. Her research record has had broad implications for the areas of endosymbiosis and plastid evolution, and has been at the forefront of leveraging protist model systems within these areas. She is excited to develop these research themes further with her new project, and looks forward to integrating with the CeMESS community.
About FWF-ASTRA
The FWF-ASTRA programme supports outstanding early-career researchers in Austria with innovative projects that promise high scientific impact.
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