Peter Vdacny Lab

Our lab is driven by passion for understanding biological evolution and formation of diversity during the geological history of Earth. We are focused on ciliates, widespread microbial eukaryotes. During the more than one billion year long evolutionary history, ciliates have become one of the most diverse group of unicellular eukaryotes, accounting for about 8,000 described species. They are either free-living or they have entered into diverse associations with many animal hosts. About one third of extant ciliates are thus symbionts, most of them are harmless commensals, but some may be pathogenic and cause severe damage to their hosts.