The metabolic and ecological functions of protists remain an underexplored frontier in microbiology, largely due to the scarcity of high-quality reference genomes. My work focuses on sequencing and characterizing the genome of Saccharomycomorpha psychra, a free-living, heterotrophic protist belonging to the highly diverse Rhizaria. Unlike most Sarcomonadea species, S. psychra exhibits a yeast-like osmotrophic mode of growth. This makes it an ideal model to uncover the genetic and metabolic blueprint of free-living Rhizaria. 

My research aims to achieve the generation of the first high-quality genome of S. psychra to reveal its metabolic potential, analyzing gene expression under varying nutrient conditions to understand its adaptive responses, and then differentiate between metabolic capabilities and realized gene expression. The insights gained from this project will significantly advance our understanding of protist ecology, evolution, and their roles in microbial ecosystems.