Profile of Principal Investigator: Filip Husnik
Profiles of our former members: ECBSU Alumni
Members
Luis Federico Ceriotti
Postdoctoral Scholar
BSc. in Biology, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Argentine Republic
PhD in Sciences and Technology, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Argentine Republic
PhD in Sciences and Technology, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Argentine Republic
During my PhD, I studied the evolution of organellar genomes in the Balanophoraceae, a group of non-photosynthetic parasitic plants. My research focused on plastid genome reduction, the impact of horizontal gene transfer on mitochondrial and nuclear genomes, and the evolution of organellar translation systems. As a postdoctoral researcher, I will extend these interests to unicellular eukaryotes, investigating how these evolutionary processes shape organellar genomes and translation systems across diverse chlorophyte lineages. In addition, I will explore the diversity of apicomplexans and related lineages in Okinawa and investigate the evolution of their organelles.
Outside the lab, I'm definetely an outdoorsy person. I particularly like swimming, snorkeling, cycling, hiking, bouldering, and the list could go on!
Daisuke Yamagishi
Postdoctoral Scholar
BSc. and MSc. in Biology, Tohoku University, Japan
PhD in Biology, The University of Tokyo, Japan
PhD in Biology, The University of Tokyo, Japan
I am interested in the evolutionary process by which distinct organisms become integrated through endosymbioses. Photosymbiosis is a type of endosymbiotic relationship between non-photosynthetic organisms and microalgae. My research aim is to elucidate how the photosymbiotic relationships are established, maintained, and collapsed by integrating metabolomics, genomics, and cell biological approaches. Previously, I was a PhD student at the University of Tokyo, where I studied symbiotic relationships between amoebae and microalgae using photosymbiotic amoebae. In my free time, I enjoy playing basketball, playing piano, and observing organisms in nature.
Sara Baisotti
Research Intern
MSc. in Molecular Biosciences at University of Heidelberg, Germany
BSc. in Biotechnologies at University of Bologna, Italy
BSc. in Biotechnologies at University of Bologna, Italy
I am interested in the mechanisms that regulate the establishment of symbiosis and its maintenance and I am currently working to develop a protocol for dsRNA-mediated gene knock-down in some of the organisms studied in the Husnik unit.
Before coming to OIST, I worked with the flatworm S. mediterranea, aiming to understand the role of parenchymal cells in the regulation of the life cycle of the animal.
Outside of the lab, I like exploring new places, embroidering, reading and spending time with animals (especially cats!).
Princess Cabotaje
Postdoctoral Scholar (VR Sweden fellowship)
PhD in Chemistry, Uppsala University, Sweden
MSc. in Chemistry, University of San Carlos, Phillippines
BSc. in Chemistry, University of the Philippines
MSc. in Chemistry, University of San Carlos, Phillippines
BSc. in Chemistry, University of the Philippines
I study how bacteria and anaerobic microbial eukaryotes (breviate protists) share energy through hydrogen, building on my PhD work at Uppsala University, where I explored hydrogenases and their potential in clean energy. These days, I split my time between Uppsala University working with Courtney Stairs and OIST with Filip Husnik, expanding my research into cell biology and evolution. My scientific interests also include metallobiochemistry, bioelectrochemistry, and spectroscopy, which are fields that let me explore how microbes transfer electrons and energy in clever ways. Outside the lab, I enjoy connecting with broader audiences through science communication and mentoring students from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM (gradmap.ph). And when I’m off the clock, you’ll probably find me being a devoted cat mom, relaxing by the beach, or dancing hip hop and commercial styles.
Eiichi Shoguchi
Senior Staff Scientist
Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, Kyoto University, Japan
BSc. in Education, Wakayama University, Japan
BSc. in Education, Wakayama University, Japan
My recent research interests focus on cell biology and the evolution of symbiotic dinoflagellates. In particular, I aim to study their life cycle, which is still not fully understood. I am also interested in exploring cell-to-cell interactions with other organisms, including corals, protists, and bacteria. Outside of research, I enjoy working on my running performance, figuring out how to run faster, training for it, and putting it into practice. I also love going for runs with my kids.
Kathrine Tan
Postdoctoral Scholar
PhD in Basic Biology, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Japan
MSc. in Microbiology, University Sains Malaysia
BSc. in Pure Biology (Microbiology), University Sains Malaysia
BSc. in Pure Biology (Microbiology), University Sains Malaysia
My research focuses on host-microbe interactions. I have worked with several biological systems including plant-pathogenic fungi and the aphid-Buchnera symbiosis before. Now, I am interested in the nested and un-nested symbioses in mealybugs at the ECBSU, OIST.
During my Ph.D., I aimed to understand the nutritional partnership in the insect-microbial symbiosis from a different perspective. In particular, I explored the lipid provisioning for symbiont membrane maintenance and developed useful experimental approaches to study these interactions.
Outside of research, I enjoy a peaceful life, good food and a decent amount of travel.
Dustin Dial
Postdoctoral Scholar
Ph.D., Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, USA
B.S., Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, USA
I'm primarily interested in how symbiotic organelles like mitochondria originate and become integrated into their hosts. I approach this question using protists and insect-bacterial partnerships as models. In the ECBSU, I'm studying gene-rich mitochondria of diverse protists to reconstruct early steps in the evolution of the mitochondrion. I’m also exploring the evolution of organelle-like symbionts and mitochondria of insects such as scales and adelgids. I aim to understand how symbioses become permanent and how they shape cellular and genomic complexity over evolutionary time.
My Ph.D. work aimed to understand the ecological and evolutionary forces that can destabilize long-term symbiotic relationships. I studied obligate endosymbionts of adelgids, an insect group with a highly dynamic history of symbiont gains and losses compared to other insects. I explored how natural fluctuations in host dietary quality may have influenced symbiont genome evolution, and how they currently shape host-symbiont gene expression and cell biology.
Outside the lab, I enjoy playing guitar, exploring Okinawa’s landscapes and culture, and spending time near or in the ocean. I also live with a very opinionated cat who accompanied me on the move to Japan.
Riko Chinen
Ph.D. student
BSc. in Biology, Dept. of Science, Kyushu University, Japan
My interest in coral evolution brought me back to Okinawa to pursue my PhD. During my bachelor’s, I studied the macrofaunal communities living among coral branches at the Amakusa Marine Biological Laboratory. For my rotation project, I’m focusing on biomineralization in blue corals, comparing them with stony corals at the genomic level. I’m excited to learn as much as I can in Husnik Unit. Outside of research, I enjoy playing soft tennis with a local team, as well as snorkeling and diving.
Michelle Leger
Staff Scientist
メール： Email
PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Dalhousie University, Canada
MSc in Genetics from the University of British Columbia, Canada
BSc in Genetics from the University of York, U.K.
I am interested in the early evolution of eukaryotes, and in mitochondrial origins, evolution, and diversity. Animals, fungi and plants make up only a small fraction of eukaryotic lineages, and so in order to study these questions across eukaryotic diversity, my research focuses on protists - diverse, mainly microbial organisms that collectively make up the majority of eukaryotes.
For my PhD I studied modified mitochondria in protists inhabiting low-oxygen environments at Dalhousie University (Canada), and for my earlier postdoctoral research I studied protists closely related to animals with a view to understanding animal origins at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (Barcelona, Spain). At the ECBSU I hope to study the variety of interactions between mitochondria and more recently established endosymbionts.
I love swimming and snorkeling, exploring new hiking trails, terrible puns, and doodling (including terrible visual puns). Any cat pictures shared with Yi-Kai Fang should be cc’d to me.
Vasyl Vaskivskyi
Ph.D. Student
BSc. in Veterinary Medicine, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine
MSc. in Molecular Biology, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine
I am interested in the evolution of plastids. Plastid is an ancient organelle that originated thanks to the endosymbiosis with photosynthetic cyanobacteria. Some modern organisms also happen to have similar symbioses. In my project, I want to use a protist that bears a photosynthetic cyanobacterial symbiont and compare it to a heterotrophic relative from the same lineage. My goal is to expose differences in gene expression that allow this symbiosis to arise and thrive. Before coming to OIST, I worked as an Imaging Bioinformatician at Wellcome Sanger Institute and HuBMAP Consortium in the UK where I focused on the development of processing pipelines for imaging spatial omics data such as CODEX, CellDive, MIBI, and IMS. In my free time, I enjoy getting lost in new places, hiking, computer graphics, and a bit of math.
Arno Hagenbeek
Ph.D. Student
MSc. in Bioinformatics, Wageningen University, Netherlands
BSc. & MSc. in Biology, Wageningen University, Netherlands
I am interested in microbial biology, particularly microbe-microbe and microbe-host interactions. I am especially intrigued by symbiotic microbiomes as they usually involve a complex network of interactions between the microbes as well as the hosting organism. Previously, I have analyzed microbiomes in a wide variety of organisms, ranging from Arabidopsis rhizosphere to the human intestine. For my Ph.D. thesis in the Husnik unit, I aim to map the microbiomes of microscopic marine invertebrates which remain highly understudied. In my free time, I enjoy playing piano, hiking, and martial arts.
Yong Heng Phua
Ph.D. Student
BSc. in Biology, Hokkaido University, Japan
I have been working on different species of benthic dinoflagellates (Coolia, Ostreopsis, and Amphidinium spp.) during my undergraduate course. I have also worked for five months as a research intern in the Husnik Unit and started exploring the role of bacterial symbionts in diverse aspects of dinoflagellate biology (e.g. toxin production or photosynthesis). During my rotation, I plan to explore symbiotic interactions between marine dinoflagellates from Okinawa and their endosymbionts. When I am not working, I am usually cooking or hiking in the mountains.
Javier Tejeda Mora
Ph.D. Student
BSc. in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, UNAM, Mexico
I am interestred in the underlaying paterns that hide within the sea of information that recent techniques have allowed access to. I did my bachelor thesis project at CICESE in Mexico where I was introduced to metabolomics. I analyzed data from metabolites of a wide range of microorganisms. During my PhD in the Husnik Unit, my aim is to perform metabolomics analyses that will help to elucidate diverse host-symbiont interactions. Outside of work I enjoy sports (mainly those that involve a raquet) and videogames.
Vera Emelianenko
Ph.D. student
BSc. in Biology, Moscow State University, Russia
I am broadly interested in marine invertebrates and their relationships with symbionts. During my rotation, I will compare Symbiodiniaceae distribution across different hosts (corals, foraminifera, possibly clams) and environments (seawater and sediment). Besides that, I am extremely curious to know what kinds of animals you can find in different environments around Okinawa, so I’ll be also helping with Arno’s project exploring marine and mangrove meiofauna. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, snorkeling, and diving (still haven’t done it much in Okinawa!), also trying to learn photography and social dancing (such as salsa and west coast swing).
Yumiko Masukagami
Research Technician
PhD in Veterinary Microbiology, University of Melbourne, Australia
BSc. in Veterinary Science, University of Miyazaki, Japan
I am interested in host-symbiont interactions and reductive genome evolution in bacteria. My research focuses on how the simplest self-replicating bacteria such as Mycoplasma spp. persist in the host and how bacteria become symbiotic in the host cells. I previously worked as a postdoc at the National Institute of Animal Health in Tsukuba and in the Membranology Unit at OIST. Apart from science, I enjoy my time with family and our cats, badminton, and exploring Okinawa.
Mifuyu Ando
Research Unit Administrator
I joined ECBSU in September 2025, and I am truly honored to be part of this lab. I am committed to contributing to the smooth progress of everyone’s research by drawing on the knowledge and experience! Outside of work, I love traveling and trying local food or watching movies.