Diatoms of North America
Jana Kulichová
Taxon Contributor
Assistant Professor Faculty of Science, Charles University
So, what is the truth about diatom diversity? Are they the beetles of the protist world…? Mann et Vanormelingen (2013)
My research is focused on the genetic diversity of morphologically similar freshwater pennate diatoms. To investigate the evolutionary diversification within traditional species, I isolate monoclonal cultures from various habitats and geographical regions, sequence DNA of these isolates, and apply geometric morphometrics to quantify morphological variation in natural populations and cultures. I am also interested in allometric changes during the life cycle and how environmental conditions influence shape and size of diatom frustules.