research topics

biogeography │ diversity │ taxonomy

The main topics that we would like to focus on include biogeography (distribution patterns, endemism vs. ubiquity, vectors of spreading), taxonomy (cryptic diversity, phylogenetic relationships, taxonomical revisions) and diversity (role in bioindication, aplication of modern taxonomy to ecology, effect of the enviroment on species as one of promotors of the biodiversity) of the euglenoids - photosynthetic as well as colourless species.

We use the so-called polyphasic approach to solve these research questions, a combination of methods and comparison of all important and usable criteria, leading to the recognition of genetic, ecological and/or morphological entities in various environmental situations - genetic evaluation would form the basis, which would be combined with other diagnostic criteria, e.g. morphological, ecophysiological or ecological data (Komárek, 2016).

During the data-mining a detailed excerption of all types of data is realized:

Morphological data

basic cell parameters (shape, size, chloroplasts, paramylon etc.) using optical light microscopy
variability of the shape using geometric morphometrics
structure of the chloroplast using confocal laser scanning microscopy
surface of the cell and loricae using scanning electron microscopy

Ultrastructural data

arrangement of organelles, structure of chloroplasts (e.g. presence of pyrenoid) using transmission electron microscopy

Distribution data

global distributional data based on newly launched database

Environmental data

habitat type
co-existing algal community
water chemistry (content of nitrogen, phosphorus, silicon, manganese, iron, etc.)

Molecular data

nuclear LSU and SSU, plastid LSU and SSU genes

References

Komárek J., 2016. A polyphasic approach for the taxonomy of cyanobacteria: principles and applications. European Journal of Phycology 51: 346-53.

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