Alexandre P Fernandes Research Portfolio

Research

I am a theoretical biologist interested in understanding how biological complexity evolves. Life exists in different levels of organisation, and my research aims to understand how transitions between these levels happen - i.e., how molecules organise to form cells, how cells organise to form organisms, how organisms organise to form populations, and so on. Currently, I am studying the evolution of multicellularity using a computational model.

The transition from unicellular to multicellular organisms is a very intricate process in evolutionary terms. Acquiring the ability to adhere to neighbouring cells is only the first step on a long evolutionary journey that passes through the evolution of other traits, such as coordination of a reproductive program, division of labour, spatial patterning of cells, and morphogenesis. Today, we know that multicellular life is very diverse, and a lot of multicellular species display some of these traits but not all. Understanding what drives the evolution of each of these traits is key to understanding how incredibly complex organisms composed of trillions of cells such as animals and plants evolved from a once single-celled ancestor.

A simulation in which multicellularity has evolved as a way to improve the ability of cells to forage for resources. The cell clusters have also evolved to dissociate into single-celled reproductive units in certain conditions, improving their dispersal in the environment.