I am interested in tracking down the chemical and biological nature of unconventional organelles, underexplored cellular inclusions, condensates, and aggregates across diverse biological systems and scales from cellular to ecosystem level. One of the least explored biomaterials is crystalline inclusions. Some of them, purine biocrystals, act as high-dynamic nitrogen storage as well as optical photonic mirrors, and there are as-yet-to-be-tested more predicted functions. This ancient multitool can be one of the oldest biocrystals likely present in the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA). I combine diverse imaging and microanalytical techniques with other multi-omics, genetics, systems biology, mineralogy, and oceanography.

My work focuses on:

Organic biocrystallization

How and why living cells produce crystals from metabolites, such as nucleobases. Repurposing the ancient core cellular metabolite building DNA.

Crystal-based nutrient metabolism

How microbial eukaryotes use crystals as dynamic reservoirs of nitrogen and other elements.

Microbial photonics

How crystals manipulate light and contribute to microbial vision, photoreception, and cellular optics.

Evolution of crystal biology

How crystal formation evolved across the eukaryotic tree of life and how it shapes ecological success.

Environmental significance

How crystal-forming protists influence nutrient cycles in aquatic ecosystems and planetary-scale biogeochemical processes.

Research Themes

Crystal Biology

I investigate the molecular mechanisms responsible for crystal formation, dissolution, recycling, and inheritance.

Current questions include:

• Which genes control biocrystallization?
• How do cells regulate crystal morphology?
• Why have crystals evolved repeatedly in different lineages?
• Can crystal biology be predicted from genomic information?

Nitrogen-Rich Crystals

Purine crystals represent one of the most nitrogen-rich structures known in biology.

Our work suggests that these crystals:

• function as nitrogen storage reservoirs
• participate in nutrient recycling
• contribute to adaptation to nutrient stress
• influence ecosystem nitrogen dynamics

Microbial Vision

Recent work from our group revealed a previously unknown role of guanine crystals in microbial vision.

We discovered crystal-based photonic mirrors in the eyespots of Symbiodiniaceae, suggesting that microorganisms evolved sophisticated optical structures using self-assembled organic crystals.

Spectroscopy and Chemical Imaging

I use Raman microscopy and complementary spectroscopic techniques for in situ identification of cellular chemistry. This approach allows us to discover previously unknown biological structures without requiring biochemical extraction.

Our philosophy:

"Chemistry first discovery-driven approach provides unprecedented potential for finding new phenomena in biology"