Early metazoan cell type diversity, evolution, and regulation
What can early metazoans teach us about the origins of cell type diversity?
We are pleased to announce the next session of our Lunch Talk Series, co-hosted by BioMed X Institute and the DKFZ Postdoc Network (PDN), with generous support from DKFZ German Cancer Research Center.
Dr. Sebé-Pedrós, Associate Faculty at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, will present:
“Early metazoan cell type diversity, evolution, and regulation”
A fundamental question in biology is how the diverse cell types observed in a multicellular organism are encoded by a single genome sequence and which regulatory mechanisms orchestrate the deployment and maintenance of cell type-specific transcriptional programs. However, the diversity of these cell type programs remains largely unexplored beyond a few selected tissues in a limited number of species. Similarly, little is known about the emergence of complex genome regulatory mechanisms that support cell type-specific programs and cellular memory.
In our group, we aim to understand the diversity and evolution of cell type programs in early-branching metazoans, including ctenophores, sponges, placozoans, and cnidarians. We also conduct comparative studies on the evolution of chromatin components and mechanisms underlying this cell type specialization. In this seminar, I will discuss our work tracing the emergence of neuronal gene expression programs in early animals. I will also present ongoing efforts to dissect cell type-specific gene regulatory networks in early metazoans and explain why this approach could transform our understanding of cell type evolution.
About Prof. Arnau Sebe Pedros
I am an evolutionary biologist with expertise in both experimental and computational methods, and with a broad range of interests at the crossroads of genomics, epigenetics, transcriptomics, biodiversity, and evolution. The main questions at the core of my research are how genome sequence and its regulation translate into specific cellular phenotypes; and how this genotype-phenotype link evolves.
During my PhD at the University of Barcelona, I investigated the genomics and cellular origins of animal multicellularity, using comparative genomics and transcriptomics. This work showed that, contrary to established views, many genes that are considered as essential for multicellular functions have a pre-metazoan origin. During my period as a Research Associate at IBE-CSIC, I moved beyond gene content, using high-throughput proteomics and chromatin profiling methods to comparatively study a close unicellular relative of animals (Capsaspora owczarzaki). These studies revealed important differences to animals in terms of the genome regulatory architecture (Cell, 2016) and signaling complexity. I continued with my postdoc at the Weizmann Institute of Science (supported by EMBO and Weizmann Institute fellowships) to (i) explore the evolution of animal regulatory genome and (ii) develop single-cell genomics tools and computational methods to systematically study cell type diversity and regulation in early-branching animal lineages.
I started my independent group at the CRG in 2019, where we continue to explore challenging and innovative questions about cell type evolution from a regulatory genomics perspective. In 2023 I was elected EMBO YIP member, and in 2024 I joined the Wellcome Sanger Institute as Associate Faculty within the Tree of Life program.