Volvox, rolling out from under the shadow of chlamydomonas with support from the AGA

摘要

Chlamydomonasreinhardtii'vs, a science superstar. This diminutive green alga with 1 cell and 2 lively flagella, and the nickname Chlamy, consistently punches above its weight in the arena of big research (Harris 2001). When not basking in freshwater ponds, it is found in laboratory beakers, helping researchers answer essential questions about the evolution and physiology of cells. In 2007, Chlamy became one of the first algae to have its genome sequenced (Merchant et al. 2007); it has its own 1000-page textbook (Harris 2009); and it even has its own biennial meeting, the International Conference on the Cell and Molecular Biology of Chlamydomonas, which started as a small, intimate gathering in 1983 and has grown to become a large, international assembly.