Dr Lenka Caisova

Profile

EDUCATION AND POSITIONS HELD

2011- RNDr. in Botany, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic

2007-2011 - Ph.D. in Botany, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic, Dissertation: Molecular phylogeny and taxonomic revision of chaetophoralean algae (Chlorophyta)

2006 – 2012 - Research Assistant/Associate, Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic

2011 – 2017 - Research Associate in the laboratory ofM. Melkonian,Botanical Institute, University of Cologne, Germany

2017 – 2019 - DFG Postdoctoral Fellow, Project: Draparnaldia– a model alga for studying terrestrialisation in Chlorophytes, Centre for Plant Sciences, University of Leeds, UK

 

AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS

2018 - Best Poster Award, International the 1st Black Forest Flagellated Plant Workshop, Germany

2017 - Tyge Christensen Prize, International Phycological Society, awarded for the best paper published in Phycologia in 2016

2017 - DFG Research Fellowship, Germany, Topic: Draparnaldia– a model alga for studying terrestrialisation in Chlorophytes

2012, 2013 - Heinrich-Hertz-StiftungPostdoctoralScholarship, Germany, Topic: Biodiversity and evolution of the Chaetophorales (Viridiplantae)

2009 - GAJUPhD scholarship, Czech Republic, Topic: Phylogeny of ecologically important polymorphic filamentous green algae

2006 - M.Sc. Scholarship for outstanding academic achievement, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic

 

LIST OF THE MOST RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS

Caisová, L., Melkonian, M. 2018. The Chaetophorales (Chlorophyceae) - a taxonomic revision at family level.European Journal of Phycology. doi.org/10.1080/09670262.2018.1453090

Caisová, L. 2016. Dicranochaete- an enigmatic green alga with surprising adaptive capabilities. Phycologia. 55: 219–229.

Caisová, L., Pérez Reyes, C., Cruz Álamo, V., Martel Quintana, A., Surek, B., Melkonian, M. 2015. Barrancaceae - a new green algal lineage with structural and behavioral adaptations to a fluctuating environment. American Journal of Botany.102: 1482–1492.

Caisová, L., Melkonian, M. 2014. Evolution of helix formation in the ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2) and its significance for RNA secondary structures. Journal of Molecular Evolution. 78: 324–337.

Caisová, L., Marin, B., Melkonian, M. 2013. A consensus secondary structure of ITS2 in the Chlorophyta identified by phylogenetic reconstruction.Protist. 164: 482–496.

Caisová, L., Marin, B., Melkonian, M. 2011. A close-up view on ITS2 evolution and speciation – a case study in the Ulvophyceae. BMC Evolutionary Biology. 11: 262.

Caisová, L., Marin, B., Sausen, N., Pröschold, T., Melkonian, M. 2011. Polyphyly of Chaetophora and Stigeoclonium within the Chaetophorales (Chlorophyceae), revealed by sequence comparisons of nuclear-encoded SSU rRNA genes. Journal of Phycology. 47: 164–177.

Research interests

 My present research concentrates on understanding the biology of green microalgae, specifically their stress responses, development, species delineation, evolution, and biodiversity. This is achieved by combination of observational, phylogenetic and bioinformatic techniques. My major focus is on filamentous algae with adaptations to (semi)terrestrial habitats – the Chaetophorales. I have established a world-class collection of chaetophoralean algae (> 150 strains) and used this collection to build the first comprehensive chaetophoralean phylogenetic tree, and to get insights into chaetophoralean diversity, development, life cycles, and adaptation strategies to flood/drought stress. My long-term scientific goal is to understand the molecular bases of terrestrial adaptations and anatomical complexity in chlorophytes. This will improve our knowledge about the adaptations needed for the spread of streptophytes on land.

<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Any research projects I'm currently working on will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://biologicalsciences.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>

Professional memberships

• Phycology Section of the German Botanical Society
• Czech Algological Society