Cawa Tran
Assistant Professor
- Email: ctran29@csuchico.edu
- Phone: 530-898-3242
- Location: HOLT 316
- Website: https://tranlabchico.wixsite.com/aiptasia(opens in new window)
- Office Hours (Fall 2018) - TR 10-noon
Education
- Postdoctoral scholar, Department of Genetics, Stanford University, 2017
- Ph.D., Department of Zoology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2012
- B.A., Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 2004
Teaching
- Principles of Physiology and Development (BIOL 153)
- Advanced Cellular/Molecular Biology (BIOL 609)
- Independent Study (BIOL 697)
- Master's Thesis (BIOL 699)
- Special Problems (BIOL 399)
Research Interests
Dr. Tran and her students are interested in the molecular & cellular mechanisms mediating symbiosis between cnidarians, dinoflagellates, and bacteria. They use an integrative approach that includes aspects of ecophysiology, microbial ecology, and cell biology to investigate host-microbe interactions in the sea anemone Aiptasia (Exaiptasia pallida), a laboratory model for understanding coral symbiosis and bleaching.
Current research projects within the Tran laboratory include:
- Determining the mechanisms underlying the establishment, maintenance, and breakdown of the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis.
- Characterizing the Aiptasia microbiome and bacterial community changes in response to environmental stress.
- Studying the photobiology of marine invertebrates to determine how the animal host and its algal symbionts detect and respond to light
Lab Photos
