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E.M.J. (Ellie) Laetz, PhD

Assistant Professor in Marine Biology, Ecology and Evolution and Veni Laureate
Profile picture of E.M.J. (Ellie) Laetz, PhD
E-mail:
e.m.j.laetz rug.nl

Elise Marie Jerschabek Laetz, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor in Marine Biology, Ecology and Evolution

University of Groningen

Nijenborgh 7

Groningen, Netherlands

Personal Information

Email: e.m.j.laetz@rug.nl

Date of Birth: June 26, 1987 – Los Angeles, CA

Highlights

  • Research expertise in marine invertebrate evolution, physiology and ecology
  • Demonstrated skill in transmission/scanning electron microscopy, confocal microscopy, and the development of new methods
  • Experience in specimen collection, diving and animal/algae husbandry
  • Proven ability to communicate scientific findings through presentations and publications
  • Biology teaching experience at a variety of different educational levels

Educational History

04.14 – 05.17

PhD – Biology

     University of Bonn & Zoological Research Museum Koenig            

         Bonn, Germany

     Grade – 0.7 magna cum laude

         (where 1.0 is the best score without honors)

     Thesis subject – Examining the Retention and Digestion of      

               Functional Kleptoplasts in Solar-Powered Sea Slugs

10.10 – 08.12

MSc – Organismal, Evolutionary and Paleobiology

     University of Bonn

         Bonn, Germany

     Grade Point Average – 1.7

         (where 1.0 is the best score)

     Thesis Subject – A Redescription of Two Related Genera,

             Cylindrobulla and Ascobulla (Gastropoda), Using

             Morphological Characters and the Description of a

             New Cylindrobulla Species (submitted 29.08.2012)

08.05 – 05.10

BSc Biology – Ecology

     San Francisco State University –

         San Francisco, California, USA

     Grade Point Average – 3.05

         (where 4.0 is the best score)

Relevant and Recent Work History:

9.19 – 9.22

Post-doctoral Researcher (70%) / Lecturer (30%) –

     University of Groningen

6.17 – 8.19

 

Post-doctoral Researcher –

     Scripps Institute of Oceanography – San Diego, USA

   Zoological Research Museum Koenig (ZFMK) – Bonn

    Institute for Pharmaceutical Biology – University of Bonn

   Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology – U. of Bonn

   Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research – Bremen

6.14 – 5.17

PhD Student – ZFMK Bonn, Germany

   Supervisors: Prof. Heike Wägele, Prof. Thomas Bartolomaeus

   Thesis Subject – Examining the Retention and Digestion of        

         Functional Kleptoplasts in Solar-Powered Sea Slugs

1.12 – 8.12

Student Researcher – ZFMK Bonn, Germany

   Supervisor: Prof. Heike Wägele

   Thesis Subject – A Morphological Analysis of Two Related

         Genera, Cylindrobulla and Ascobulla (Mollusca)

10.11 – 8.13

Student Researcher – ZFMK Bonn, Germany

   Supervisor: Prof. Heike Wägele

   Extracurricular Project: Behavioral Interactions between

         Tritaeta gibbosa (Arthropoda, Crustacea) and Ocnus  

         planci (Echinodermata, Holothuria)

9.11 – 12.11

Student Researcher – Lund University; Sweden  

     Supervisor: Prof. Dan E. Nilsson

     Project Title: Object Avoidance, A Visually Guided Behavior

         in Tripedalia cystophora (Cnidaria, Cubozoa)

1.10 – 5.10

Student Researcher – SFSU; Aquarium of the Bay; Monterey Bay Aquarium

     Supervisor: Prof. Stan Williams

     Project Title: Comparative Growth Rates in Captive          

         Notorynchus cepedianus, the Broadnose Sevengill Shark

8.09 – 12.09

Research Assistant – Romberg Tiburon Center, SFSU

   Supervisor: Prof. Jonathan Stillman

   Project Title: Physiological Changes in the Coccolithophore,

             Emiliania huxleyi, Under Elevated Carbon Dioxide Levels

8.04 – 6.05

8.02 – 6.03

Research Assistant – Malibu High School (MHS); University of    

   California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Publications:

2018

 

 

 

Laetz, E. M. J. and Wägele, H.

     A comparison of photosynthate production in the solar- powered

     sister-taxa Elysia timida and E. cornigera.

         J. of Molluscan Studies https://doi.org/10.1093/mollus/eyy047

2018

Christa, G., Pütz, L., Sickinger, C., Clavijo, J., Laetz, E. M. J., Greve, C., & Serôdio, J.

     Photoprotective non-photochemical quenching does not prevent

     kleptoplasts from photoinactivation.

           Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. doi: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00121

2018

Laetz, E. M. J. and Wägele, H.

     The effects of temperature on digestive activity during starvation in

     the solar-powered sea slug sister-taxa Elysia timida Risso, 1818 and  

     Elysia cornigera Nuttall, 1989 (Gastropoda: Sacoglossa).

         Frontiers in Zoology. doi: 10.1186/s12983-018-0264

2017

 

Laetz, E. M. J. and Wägele, H.

     Chloroplast digestion and the development of functional        

     kleptoplasty in juvenile Elysia timida Risso, 1818 as compared to

     short-term and non-chloroplast-retaining sacoglossan slugs.

         PLOS ONE. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182910

2017

Laetz, E. M. J., Moris, V., Moritz, L., Haubrich, A., & Wägele, H.

       Photosynthate accumulation in solar-powered sea slugs – starving

       slugs survive due to accumulated starch reserves.

         Frontiers in Zoology, 14://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-016-0186-5

2016

Laetz, E. M. J., Rühr, P. T., Bartolomaeus, T., Preisfeld, A., &  

Wägele, H.

       Examining the retention of functional kleptoplasts and digestive

       activity in sacoglossan sea slugs.

         Organisms Diversity & Evolution, 1-13.

2015

Rauch, C., de Vries, J., Rommel, S., Rose, L. E., Woehle, C., Christa,

G., Laetz, E. M., Wägele, H., Tielens, A. G. M., Nickelsen, J.

     Why it is time to look beyond algal genes in photosynthetic slugs.

         Genome Biology and Evolution, 7(9), 2602–2607.

2014

Laetz, E., Christa, G., Händeler, K., & Wägele, H. (2014)

     The Cylindrobulla/Ascobulla Complex – unraveling problems in

     identification and adding to Cylindrobulla diversity (Gastropoda,

     Heterobranchia, Sacoglossa) by describing a new species.

         Zootaxa, 3893(3) http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3

2013

Laetz, E., Coleman, C. O., Christa, G., & Wägele, H.

     Behavioral interactions between Tritaeta gibbosa (Crustacea,

       Amphipoda) and Ocnus planci (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea).

         Vie et Milieu, 63(2), 105–117.

Teaching Experience:

2019

Behavior, Ecology and Evolution

     University of Groningen

     Teaching Assistant

2018

Scientific English seminar

     Lecturer

     University of Bonn

2017

2 Master’s students (6 months)

   Co-supervisor

     Zoological Research Museum Koenig

2015

1 Master’s student

     Supervisor (6 months)

     Zoological Research Museum Koenig

2015

Marine Ecology field course

     Teaching Assistant

     University of Bonn

2014

English as a foreign language (TESOL)

     Earned teaching certificate

2014

2 Bachelor students (3 months)

     Supervisor

     Zoological Research Museum Koenig

2014

Marine Ecology field course

     Teaching Assistant

     University of Bonn

2010

Science Education Partner Assessment Lab

       Teacher/Researcher (4 months)

     San Francisco State University & Aptos Middle School

2009-2010

Math and Science Teaching Initiative

     Student Teacher - (9 months)

     San Francisco State University & Aptos Middle School

2005-2010

Introductory math, biology, chemistry

     University tutor

2001-2005

English as a second language, science, math

     Tutor

Field Work:

2018

Divemaster Certification (PADI – 6 weeks)

2017

Specimen collection Blanes, Spain (1 week, October)

2016

Specimen collection in Blanes, Spain (1 week, July)

2016

Specimen collection in Florida, USA (1 month, April)

2015

Specimen collection in Blanes, Spain (2 weeks, July & November)

2015

Specimen collection on Elba, Italy (2 weeks, April)

2014

Specimen collection in Blanes, Spain (2 weeks, July & November)

2014

Specimen collection on Elba, Italy (2 weeks, April)

2012

Specimen collection in Banyuls, France (2 weeks, April)

2011

Field course in Banyuls, France (2 weeks) - Marine Ecology

2011

Field course on Giglio, Italy (2 weeks) - Marine Invertebrates

2010

Field course Helgoland, Germany (3 wks.)-Mechanisms of Evolution

2009

Specimen collection/site monitoring in San Francisco (4 months)

2004-2005

2002-2003

Environmental monitoring of sandy beach ecosystem and zooplankton collection / identification (total 18 months)

Awards, Honors and Memberships:

2016

World Conference of Malacology – Penang, Malaysia

 

     Best Student Poster Presentation Prize

2015

International Workshop on Opisthobranchs – Porto, Portugal

 

     Best Student Oral Presentation Prize

2015

DAAD-University of Bonn Graduate Research Grant    

     (Stipendiums/einer Lehr- oder Forschungsassistenz im    

     Rahmen der DAAD Doktorandenförderung)

2015

Alexander Koenig Society Research Grant (Travel)

2009– 2010

Math and Science Teaching Initiative Fellow

     Scholarship Recipient - 2 semesters

     San Francisco State University  

     Lifetime member

2009–2010

Science Education Partnership Assessment Lab Fellow

     San Francisco State University

Funding Acquired:

2019

German Research Council (DFG)

     Individual Research Grant – JE 125/1-1

2019

Company of Biologists Travel Grant

     Journal of Evolutionary Biology – JEBTF181124

2015

German Research Council (DFG) – WH 168/17-1

     Revision and contribution to the proposal submitted by H.

     Wägele, T. Bartolomaeus, G. Preisfeld and G. Koenig

2014

DAAD-University of Bonn Graduate Research Grant    

     Stipendiums/einer Lehr- oder Forschungsassistenz im    

     Rahmen der DAAD Doktorandenförderung

2014

Alexander Koenig Society Travel and Research Grant

2009 – 2010

Math and Science Teaching Initiative Scholarship Recipient –

     San Francisco State University

   2 semesters

Languages:

English – native speaker, certified teacher

German – 8 years, intermediate, recent

Spanish – 4 years, high school

Conferences, Workshops and Presentations:

2019

Group Seminar in Marine Biology

     San Diego, California

         Oral presentation: Toward Understanding how Solar-

                 powered Sea Slugs Survive Extended Starvation Periods

2017

 

 

 

Postgraduate Conference of the Marine Biological Association

     Plymouth, England

          Oral presentation: Toward Understanding how Solar-

               powered Sea Slugs Survive Extended Starvation Periods

2016

International Society for Endocytobiology

     Konstanz, Germany

         Oral presentation: Advancements in Understanding

              Functional Kleptoplasty

2016

World Conference of Malacology

     Penang, Malaysia

         Oral presentation: Chloroplast Activity and Degradation in

              Solar-Powered Sea Slugs

         Poster presentation: 3D-AMP, A New ImageJ – FIJI Plugin for

               Counting Objects in Bi-Color Images

2016

German Society for Biological Systematic (GfBS)

     Munich, Germany

         Oral presentation: Chloroplast Activity and Degradation in

         Solar-Powered Sea Slugs

2016

Natural Sciences Night

     Bonn, Germany

          Poster: How Solar-powered Sea Slugs Steal the Sun

2015

International Workshop on Opisthobranchs

     Porto, Portugal

         Oral presentation: Unraveling the Development of Functional

         Kleptoplasty in Sacoglossan Sea Slugs

2015

Invited Speaker

     Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany

         Oral presentation: Understanding Kleptoplasty – A

         Cytological Approach  

2015

German Society for Biological Systematic (GfBS)

     Bonn, Germany

          Oral presentation: Photosynthate Production in Kleptoplasts–

         Understanding How a Sea Slug Survives Starvation        

2014

Graduate Forum in Morphology –

     Hamburg, Germany

         Oral presentation: How Slimy Slugs Steal the Sun

 

 

Last modified:31 October 2022 4.50 p.m.