Contact details

Dr Nela Rosic
Centre for Marine Studies
The University of Queensland
Gehrmann Laboratories (#60)
St Lucia QLD 4072 Australia

(tel) +61 (0) 733669576
(fax) +61 (0) 733654755
(email) n.rosicuq.edu.au

Connections

Collaborators
Dr Mauricio Rodriguez-Lanetty
Dr Sophie Dove
Dr Simon Dunn
Dr Mathieu Pernice
Dr Paulina Kaniewska

People > Nela Rosic

Position: Postdoctoral staff
Last update: 25-Aug-2010

Research

How environmental stress factors affect coral partner in symbiosis - unicellular photosynthetic dinoflagellate from genus Symbiodinum?

Scleractinian (hard) corals and unicellular photosynthetic algae (dinoflagellate) from genus Symbiodinium live in mutualistic symbiosis building CORAL REEFS. This second largest ecosystem in the world is under treat by existing environmental changes. Increased temperature, light radiation and ocean acidification affect this sensitive, mutualisitic partnership between two organisms, resulting its breakdown and coral bleaching. The fundamental aims of my research are to provide better understanding on the following questions: 1 - How unicellular photosynthetic dinoflagellate respond to stressful environmental conditions and 2 - What molecular changes result in the collapse of the coral-algal symbiosis? Future studies will involve further characterization of individual genes with changed expression profiles which will provide better insight into novel molecular mechanisms leading to coral bleaching.
Keywords: bleaching, climate change, coral-algal interactions, Functional genomics, MAA, Molecular evolution, molecular mechanisms, Symbiodinium, symbiosis

Education

PhD Molecular Evolution of Cytochrome P450 - The University of Queensland (2005)
MSc Plant Biotechnology - The University of Belgrade (2000)
BSc(Hons) Molecular Biology and Physiology - The University of Belgrade (1996)

Awards

International Postgraduate Research Scholarship - IPRS (2001), The University of Queensland Graduate School Scholarship - UQGSS (2001), Travel Award, Awarded by Federation of European Societies of Plant Physiology (2000), The Summer School of experimental biochemical methods for protein research (1998), Scholarship for Young Scientists by The Serbian Ministry of Science (1996)

Publications

Rosic N, Pernice M, Dunn SR, Dove S, Hoegh-Guldberg O (2010) Novel cytochrome P450 genes from the symbiotic dinoflagellates of reef-building corals: Differential regulation by heat stress. APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY 1: 1-1

Rosic N, Hoegh-Guldberg O (2010) A method for extracting a high-quality RNA from Symbiodinium sp.. JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY 22: 139-146

Rosic N, Pernice M, Rodriguez-Lanetty M, Hoegh-Guldberg O (2010) Differential Regulation by Heat Stress of Novel Cytochrome P450 Genes from the Dinoflagellate Symbionts of Reef-Building Corals. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY 1: 1-11

Rosic N (2009) Versatile capacity of shuffled cytochrome P450s for dye production. APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY 82: 203-210

Rosic N, Hoegh-Guldberg O (2009) A method for extracting a high-quality RNA from Symbiodinium sp.. JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY 1: 1-8

Rosic N, Huang WL, Johnston WA, DeVoss JJ, Gillam EMJ (2007) Extending the diversity of cytochrome P450 enzymes by DNA family shuffling. GENE 395: 40-48

Rosic N, Momcilovic I, Kovacevic N, Grubisic D (2006) Genetic transformation of Rhamnus fallax and hairy roots as a source of anthraquinones. BIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 50: 514-518

Sabovljevic A, Rosic N, Jankovic T, Grubisic D (2006) Secoiridoid content of Blackstonia perfoliata in vivo and in vitro.. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Plant 42: 427-431

Bijelovic A, Rosic N, Miljus-Djukic J, Ninkovic S, Grubisic D (2004) In vitro regeneration and transformation of Blackstonia perfoliata. BIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 48: 333-338

Rosic N, Lonhienne TGA, DeVoss JJ, Gillam EMJ (2003) Directed evolution of mammalian cytochrome P450 enzymes involved in xenobiotic metabolism. DRUG METABOLISM REVIEWS 35: 91--1