dr Ivan García-Cunchillos
Scientific interests
My leading scientific interest is comprehending the processes driving the diversification and specialization of different microscopic eukaryote lineages in evolutionary history. I am particularly captivated by the changes and stages occurring during the symbiosis establishment between prokaryotes-eukaryotes and eukaryotes-eukaryotes. Specifically, I am intrigued by the events that conducted distinct endosymbionts to become permanent organelles, especially concerning secondary plastids. Thus, I intend to discover and characterize new potential symbiotic relationships in freshwater ecosystems involving microscopic eukaryotes and bacteria. Besides, I am also interested in understanding the morphological diversification in a single-celled fruiting-bodyforming lineage within Amoebozoa (Myxomycetes).
Didactics
- Biology of eukaryotic microorganisms
Research projects
Ongoing:
- Freshwater microbial communities in the eutrophication gradient: diversity and interactions of protists and bacteria (MicroDivEr), Opus Grant NCN, Principal Investigator: Anna Karnkowska
- Study of the diversity of Amoebozoa (Myxomycetes and Arcellinida) in the Mata Atlántica forest of Brazil. Assessment in function of its conservation status (MYXOTROPIC VII), Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, Principal Investigator: Enrique Lara Pandi.
Completed:
- Neotropical Mixobiota. VI. Biosystematic study of Amoebozoa (Myxomycetes and Arcellinidae) from the Andean salt flats, 2018–2022, Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, Principal Investigator: Carlos Lado Rodríguez.
- Neotropical Mixobiota. V. Biosystematic study of the Myxomycetes from the arid regions in the Peruvian Tropical Andes, 2015–2018, Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (CGL2014-52584-P), Principal Investigator: Carlos Lado Rodríguez.
Internships
- Museum of Evolution and Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden (scientific supervisors: Prof. Juan Carlos Zamora and Prof. Martin Ryberg), November 2018 – February 2019, scientific internship.
Collaborators
- Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de Genève, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Technological University of Peru, Arequipa, Peru
Publications
2024
Protecting stable biological nomenclatural systems enables universal communication: A collective international appeal Journal Article
In: BioScience, pp. biae043, 2024.
How good are global DNA-based environmental surveys for detecting all protist diversity? Arcellinida as an example of biased representation Journal Article
In: Environmental Microbiology, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. e16606, 2024.
2023
Diversity of Myxomycetes from Peru Part III: The high Andes and the altiplano Journal Article
In: Phytotaxa, vol. 624, no. 1, pp. 1-92, 2023.
2022
In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, vol. 177, pp. 107609, 2022, ISSN: 1055-7903.
2021
New records of Myxomycetes (Amoebozoa) from the tropical Andes Journal Article
In: Phytotaxa, vol. 522, pp. 231-239, 2021.
In: European Journal of Protistology, vol. 81, pp. 125839, 2021, ISSN: 0932-4739.
New Approach to the Ultrastructure of the Capillitium in the Order Trichiales (Myxomycetes, Amoebozoa) and its Phylogenetic Implications Journal Article
In: Protist, vol. 172, no. 2, pp. 125805, 2021, ISSN: 1434-4610.
2020
Nivicolous Trichiales from the austral Andes: unexpected diversity including two new species Journal Article
In: Mycologia, vol. 112, no. 4, pp. 753-780, 2020.
2018
Losses of leaf area owing to abiotic stress along the leaf economics spectrum: implications for carbon gain at the branch level Journal Article
In: Trees, vol. 32, pp. 1-11, 2018.
2017
Didymium azorellae, a new myxomycete from cushion plants of cold arid areas of South America Journal Article
In: Mycologia, vol. 109, no. 6, pp. 993-1002, 2017.
2013
Population genetics of the westernmost distribution of the glaciations-surviving black truffle Tuber melanosporum Journal Article
In: Mycorrhiza, vol. 24, 2013.