E.M.J. (Ellie) Laetz, PhD
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
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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 |
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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) |
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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:
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9.19 – 9.22 |
Post-doctoral Researcher (70%) / Lecturer (30%) – University of Groningen |
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6.17 – 8.19
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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:
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2018
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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2017
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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:
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2019 |
Behavior, Ecology and Evolution University of Groningen Teaching Assistant |
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2018 |
Scientific English seminar Lecturer University of Bonn |
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2017 |
2 Master’s students (6 months) Co-supervisor Zoological Research Museum Koenig |
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2015 |
1 Master’s student Supervisor (6 months) Zoological Research Museum Koenig |
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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 |
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2009-2010 |
Math and Science Teaching Initiative Student Teacher - (9 months) San Francisco State University & Aptos Middle School |
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2005-2010 |
Introductory math, biology, chemistry University tutor |
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2001-2005 |
English as a second language, science, math Tutor |
Field Work:
|
2018 |
Divemaster Certification (PADI – 6 weeks) |
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2017 |
Specimen collection Blanes, Spain (1 week, October) |
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2016 |
Specimen collection in Blanes, Spain (1 week, July) |
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2016 |
Specimen collection in Florida, USA (1 month, April) |
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2015 |
Specimen collection in Blanes, Spain (2 weeks, July & November) |
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2015 |
Specimen collection on Elba, Italy (2 weeks, April) |
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2014 |
Specimen collection in Blanes, Spain (2 weeks, July & November) |
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2014 |
Specimen collection on Elba, Italy (2 weeks, April) |
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2012 |
Specimen collection in Banyuls, France (2 weeks, April) |
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2011 |
Field course in Banyuls, France (2 weeks) - Marine Ecology |
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2011 |
Field course on Giglio, Italy (2 weeks) - Marine Invertebrates |
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2010 |
Field course Helgoland, Germany (3 wks.)-Mechanisms of Evolution |
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2009 |
Specimen collection/site monitoring in San Francisco (4 months) |
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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 |
|
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Best Student Poster Presentation Prize |
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2015 |
International Workshop on Opisthobranchs – Porto, Portugal |
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Best Student Oral Presentation Prize |
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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 |
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2017
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Postgraduate Conference of the Marine Biological Association Plymouth, England Oral presentation: Toward Understanding how Solar- powered Sea Slugs Survive Extended Starvation Periods |
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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 |
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2016 |
Natural Sciences Night Bonn, Germany Poster: How Solar-powered Sea Slugs Steal the Sun |
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2015 |
International Workshop on Opisthobranchs Porto, Portugal Oral presentation: Unraveling the Development of Functional Kleptoplasty in Sacoglossan Sea Slugs |
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2015 |
Invited Speaker Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany Oral presentation: Understanding Kleptoplasty – A Cytological Approach |
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2015 |
German Society for Biological Systematic (GfBS) Bonn, Germany Oral presentation: Photosynthate Production in Kleptoplasts– Understanding How a Sea Slug Survives Starvation |
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2014 |
Graduate Forum in Morphology – Hamburg, Germany Oral presentation: How Slimy Slugs Steal the Sun |
| Last modified: | 31 October 2022 4.50 p.m. |