Schärer Group
Evolutionary Biology
Zoological Institute
University of Basel
Vesalgasse 1
CH-4051 Basel
Switzerland

Roberto Arbore

email: roberto.arbore-at-stud.unibas.ch
phone: +41 61 207 03 77
cellular: +39-(0)3384454075

As a master student of the research group of Dr. Lukas Schärer primarily working on the free-living flatworm Macrostomum lignano, I am currently at the very beginning of a transcriptome analysis project.

Current research

Recent developments in sequencing technologies (namely Next-Generation-Sequencing) allow whole-genome and whole-transcriptome analysis of nontraditional model organisms. M.lignano has recently been proposed as a powerful model for several studies that involve various laboratories and issues. Sequencing and annotation of the genome is also currently ongoing. The Schärer group is focusing on all the different aspects of sexual reproduction of M.lignano (e.g. sex allocation, sperm competition, sexual conflict, etc…) from an evolutionary point of view. A better knowledge of the processes involved on a genetic level associated with the ability of direct manipulation of such processes should be a powerful tool in the service of solving theoretical issues. My work aims at contributing to this task by producing quantitative transcriptomics data with special attention to sexual differential expressed genes. A recently established RNA interference protocol for M.lignano permits to obtain functional males and functional females by knocking down specific genes involved in the early development of gonads. The transcriptomic approach has the remarkable capability of producing a great amount of data suitable for this purpose in addition to the considerable quantity of general information produced itself.

Former research

Sexual differential expressed genes characterization in Ophryotrocha puerilis with cDNA Sequence-related-amplified-polymorphism (SRAP) and cDNA Amplified-fragment-length-polymorphism (AFLP) at the Department of Human and Animal Biology of the University of Turin.