Research Interests

Current research interests

Evolution of multicellularity

Olson BJSC and AM Nedelcu. (submitted). Co-option during the evolution of multicellularity and developmental complexity in the volvocine green algae. Current Opinion in Genetics & Development

Koenig SG and AM Nedelcu. 2016. The mechanistic basis for the evolution of soma during the transition to multicellularity in the volvocine algae. In Newman SA and Niklas K (eds) “Multicellularity: Origins and Evolution”. Pp. 43-70. Vienna Series in Theoretical Biology. MIT Press.

Kessler JO, Nedelcu AM, CA Solari, and Shelton DE. 2015. Cells acting as lenses: A possible role for light in the evolution of morphological asymmetry in multicellular volvocine algae. In Ruiz-Trillo I and AM Nedelcu (eds) Evolutionary transitions to multicellular life: Principles and Mechanisms. Pp. 225-243. Springer.

Herron MD and AM Nedelcu. 2015. Volvocine algae: from simple to complex multicellularity. In Ruiz-Trillo I and AM Nedelcu (eds) Evolutionary transitions to multicellular life: Principles and Mechanisms. Pp. 129-152. Springer.

Nedelcu AM. Volvox. (in press). In World Book Encyclopedia. World Book Publishing.

Nedelcu AM. 2012. On the evolution of self during the transition to multicellularity. In Carlos Lopez-Larrea (ed) Self and Non-self. pp 14-30. Landes Biosciences.

Nedelcu AM. 2012. Evolution of Multicellularity. In: eLS (Encyclopedia of Life Sciences), John Wiley & Sons, Ltd: Chichester http://www.els.net/ [DOI: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0023665

Nedelcu AM and RE Michod. 2011. Molecular mechanisms of life history trade-offs and the evolution of multicellular complexity in volvocalean green algae. In Flatt T and Heyland A (eds). Mechanisms of Life History Evolution: The Genetics and Physiology of Life History Traits and Trade-Offs. pp. 271-283. Oxford University Press.

Prochnik SE, Umen J, Nedelcu AM et al. 2010. Genomic analysis of organismal complexity in the multicellular green alga Volvox carteri. Science 329:223-226.

Nedelcu AM, Borza T, and RW Lee. 2006. A land plant-specific multigene family in the unicellular Mesostigma argues for its close relationship to Streptophyta. Mol. Biol. Evol. 23: 1011-1015

Michod RE, Y Viossat, CA Solari, M Hurrand and AM Nedelcu. 2006. Life history evolution and the origin of multicellularity. J. Theor. Biol. 239: 257-271

Nedelcu AM and RE Michod. 2004. Evolvability, modularity, and individuality during the transition to multicellularity in volvocalean green algae. In Schlosser G and Wagner G (eds) Modularity in development and evolution. pp. 468-489. University of Chicago Press; download pdf here

Michod RE and AM Nedelcu. 2004. Cooperation and conflict during the unicellular-multicellular and prokaryotic-eukaryotic transitions. In Moya A and Font E (eds) Evolution: From Molecules to Ecosystems. pp. 195-208. Oxford University Press; download reprint here.

Michod RE and AM Nedelcu. 2003. On the reorganization of fitness during evolutionary transitions in individuality. Integrative and Comparative Biology 43:64-73; download reprint here.

Michod RE, AM Nedelcu, and D Roze. 2003. Cooperation and conflict in the evolution of individuality. IV. Conflict mediation and evolvability in Volvox carteri. BioSystems. 69:95-114; download reprint here.

Solari CA, Nedelcu AM, and RE Michod. 2003. Fitness and complexity in volvocalean green algae. In H.Lipson, EK Antonsson, and JR Koza (eds). "Computational Synthesis: From basic building blocks to high level functionality". AAAI Press, Stanford, CA; download reprint here.

Evolution of altruism

Koenig SG and AM Nedelcu. The evolution of reproductive altruism via the co-option of a stress-induced gene: Mechanistic insights and adaptive consequences. Proceedings of the Royal Society B (in prep)

Nedelcu AM. 2009. Environmentally-induced responses co-opted for reproductive altruism. Biology Letters 5: 805-808.

Nedelcu AM and RE Michod. 2006. The evolutionary origin of an altruistic gene. Mol. Biol. Evol. 23: 1460-1464

Genome and transcriptome analyses

Figueroa-Martinez F, Nedelcu AM, Smith DR, A Reyes-Prieto. 2015. When the lights go out: the evolutionary fate of free-living colorless green algae.New Phytologist 206:972-982.

Keeling PJ et al. 2014. The Marine Microbial Eukaryote Transcriptome Sequencing Project (MMETSP): Illuminating the functional diversity of eukaryotic life in the oceans through transcriptome sequencing. PLoS Biology. 12(6): e1001889

Lang BF and AM Nedelcu. 2011. Plastid genomes of algae. In Bock R and Knoop V (eds) Genomics of Chloroplasts and Mitochondria. Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration Series. Springer Vol. 35. pp. 59-87.

Burger G and AM Nedelcu. 2011. Mitochondrial genomes of algae. In Bock R and Knoop V (eds) Genomics of Chloroplasts and Mitochondria. Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration Series. Springer Vol. 35. pp. 127-157.

Evolutionary approaches to cancer

Sprouffske K, Aktipis CA, Radich JP, Carroll M, Nedelcu AM, and Maley CC. 2013. An evolutionary explanation for the presence of cancer non-stem cells in neoplasms Evolutionary Applications 6:92-101.

Nedelcu AM and Caulin A. 2011. The evolution of cancer suppressor mechanisms. In Maley C (ed) "Frontiers of Evolution in Cancer". Springer (submitted).

Nedelcu AM and C. Tan. 2007. Early diversification and complex evolutionary history of the p53 tumor suppressor gene family. Development Genes and Evolution 217: 801-806.

Evolution of self-induced death in unicellular lineages

Nedelcu AM, Driscoll WW, Durand PM, Herron M, and Rashidi E. 2011. On the paradigm of adaptive suicide in the unicellular world. Evolution 65:3-20.

Nedelcu AM. 2009. Comparative genomics of phylogenetically diverse unicellular eukaryotes provide new insights into the genetic basis for the evolution of the programmed cell death machinery. Journal of Molecular Evolution 68: 256-268.

Nedelcu AM. 2006. Evidence for p53-like-mediated stress responses in green algae. FEBS Letters 580:3013-3017

Evolutionary role of lateral gene transfer

Nedelcu AM, A Blakney and K Logue. 2009. Functional replacement of a primary metabolic pathway via multiple independent eukaryote-to-eukaryote gene transfers and selective retention. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 22: 1882-1894

Nedelcu AM, I Miles, K Karol, A Fagir. 2008. Adaptive eukaryote-to eukaryote gene transfer: Stress-related genes of algal origin in the closest unicellular relatives of animals. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 21: 1852-1860

Evolution of sex

Michod RE., Bernstein H, Nedelcu AM. 2008. Adaptive Value of Sex in Microbial Pathogens. Infection, Genetics and Evolution 8: 267-285.

Nedelcu AM. 2005. Sex as a response to oxidative stress: Stress genes co-opted for sex. Proceedings of Royal Society London B, Biological Sciences 272: 1935-1940

Nedelcu AM, Marcu O, and RE Michod. 2004. Sex as a response to oxidative stress: A two-fold increase in cellular reactive oxygen species activates sex genes. Proceedings of Royal Society London B, Biological Sciences 271: 1591-1596; download pdf here

Nedelcu AM and RE Michod. 2003. Sex as a response to oxidative stress: The effect of antioxidants on sexual induction in a facultatively sexual lineage. Proc. Royal Society London B, Biological Sciences 270: S136-S139; download reprint here.