Research Bio

Phillip Cleves’ research focuses on the genetic and cellular basis of endosymbiosis in animals. He is specifically interested in gene regulation, cell fate changes, and genomic constraints that emerge when animals associate with beneficial microbial symbionts. The lab uses several cnidarian models, the anemone Aiptasia and reef-building corals, and new genetic tools to study their ecologically important endosymbiosis with dinoflagellate algae. The research will both provide insights into how beneficial microbial interactions shape animals and how this specific interaction controls the fate of corals in response to increased ocean temperature.

He is a professor in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at UC Berkeley.

Research Expertise and Interest

coral bleaching, CRISPR/Cas9, symbiosis