The University of Florida Division of Sponsored Research was awarded a $1,013,589 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) to conduct research on the environmental induction of a novel cell type and the generation of a gene regulatory network for photosymbiosis in the upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea xamachana. This 3-year research project, which begins on November 1, 2024, aims to provide molecular and cellular insights into how coral reefs can be rebuilt by understanding the self-nonself recognition mechanisms that enable stable photosymbiosis. The research will utilize optical imaging, single-cell sequencing, and gene regulatory network analysis to investigate the establishment of photosymbiosis and the environmental induction of the amoebocyte cell type in the model organism Cassiopea. The findings from this work are expected to be incorporated into educational and outreach programs to support coral reef restoration efforts.
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