Megan Sørensen, Postdoc
megan.sorensen{at}su.se I am interested in the evolution of endosymbiotic relationships, in particular those that are photosynthetic and so enable the transition to mixotrophy/autotrophy. I gained my PhD from the University of Sheffield, UK, in 2019, for which I studied the freshwater endosymbiosis between the ciliate Paramecium bursaria and the green algae Chlorella. Prior to this, I received a research Master’s degree from the University of York, UK, and an undergraduate degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge, UK. Currently I am a postdoctoral researcher joint between the Burki lab in Uppsala and Rachel Foster’s lab at Stockholm University. My research is focused on an endosymbiotic relationship within a marine protist, Meringosphaera. I will use a combination of approaches, including sequencing data, metabolomics, and microscopy, to study the degree of integration between the symbiotic partners and elucidate the evolutionary origin of this endosymbiosis. In my free time I enjoy doing judo, climbing and hiking, and I am currently enjoying exploring Sweden’s nature. |