Luana Lins

Evolutionary Biology | Genomics | Systematics

ABOUT

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I am a postdoctoral fellow in CSIRO’s Environomics Future Science Platform. I am currently excited about the use of cutting-edge technology to make molecular species identification accessible outside of the lab. I am also interested in the evolution and diversity of organisms.

In my current role, I am developing a platform that simplifies the workflow for molecular species identification. This platform includes simplified web-lab steps and real-time analysis pipeline that allows species identification in as little as 20min after sequencing has started on a laptop. I am interested in ways to simplify environmental DNA workflows to reduce barriers to the use of eDNA for biosecurity applications.

My research interests include the use of molecular techniques to answer questions about the genomic basis of adaptation to polar environments, the time frame of colonisation of different environments and to investigating the factors that affect evolutionary rates. Luana received her PhD in Biological Sciences from The University of Sydney in 2015, where she focused on the molecular phylogeny of isopods. Her previous training in Brazil was on taxonomy and systematics of crustaceans.

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RESEARCH

During my PhD at The University of Sydney, which I completed in 2015, I focused on the molecular phylogeny of isopods. As a result of my PhD project, I presented the first estimate of the timeframe of colonisation of the deep sea by isopods. This study involved phylogenetic analysis and molecular-clock dating. I also used molecular and morphological information to investigate the phylogeny and biogeography of asellotan isopods. My genetic analyses revealed the presence of cryptic species that are difficult to distinguish morphologically (Lins et al. in prep). I have also performed preliminary analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear data to investigate the evolutionary rate of isopods living in different environments. Understanding the phylogeny of this group is valuable for revealing general evolutionary patterns and processes in the deep-sea fauna.

My M.Sc. research degree also focused on isopods. I sorted, identified and described isopod species from the Eastern Atlantic deep sea.

I conducted my Honours research on the taxonomy and systematics of the deep-sea hermit crab Catapaguroids microps. My Honours research was part of the Brazilian deep-sea project (Ocean Prof) investigating the faunal composition of Campos Bay (Eastern Atlantic Ocean).

Heteromesus sp. Image by George Wilson

PUBLICATIONS

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LSF Lins , Trojahn S, Sockell A, Yee M-C, Tatarenkov A, Bustamante CD, Earley RL, Kelley JL. 2017. Whole-genome sequencing reveals the extent of heterozygosity in a preferentially self-fertilizing hermaphroditic vertebrate. Genome.

LSF Lins, SYW Ho, N Lo. 2017. An evolutionary timescale for terrestrial isopods and a lack of molecular support for the monophyly of Oniscidea (Crustacea:Isopoda). Organisms Diversity & Evolution.

SM Vargas, LSF Lins, E Molfetti, SYW Ho, D Monteiro, J Barreto, L Colman, L Vila-Verde, C Baptistotte, JCA Thomé, FR Santos, 2017. Revisiting the genetic diversity and population structure of the critically endangered leatherback turtles in the South West Atlantic Ocean: Insights for species conservation. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

Ho SYW, Chen AX, Lins LSF, Duchêne DA, Lo N, 2016. The Genome as an Evolutionary Timepiece. Genome Biology and Evolution, 8: 3006-3010.

Lins LSF, Ho SYW, Wilson GDF, & Lo N. 2012. Evidence for Permo-Triassic colonization of the deep sea by isopods. Biology Letters, 8: 979–982.

Lins LSF, & Costa TMM. 2010. Population structure of the deep-sea hermit-crab Catapaguroides microps (Paguroidea, Anomura) in Campos Basin, RJ, Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Oceanography, 58: 19–23.

Lins LSF, & Cardoso IA. 2010. First record of the deep-sea Paguridae Catapaguroides microps (Decapoda: Anomura) in the southwestern Atlantic Sea. Cahiers de Biologie Marine, 51: 69–74.

BOOK CHAPTERS

Serejo CS, Senna AR, Souza-Filho JF, Sittrop DJP, & Lins LSF. 2010. Crustacea. In: Biodiversidade da região oceânica profunda da Bacia de Campos: Macrofauna (eds Lavrado HP, & Brasil ACS). SAG Serv, Rio de Janeiro. pp 173–230.

Lins LSF. 2010. Porcellana sayana (Leach, 1820). In: Biodiversidade da região oceânica profunda da Bacia de Campos: Macrofauna (eds Lavrado HP, & Brasil ACS). SAG Serv, Rio de Janeiro. pp 180–181.

Lins LSF. 2010. Catapaguroides microps A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1892. In: Biodiversidade da região oceânica profunda da Bacia de Campos: Macrofauna (eds Lavrado HP, & Brasil ACS). SAG Serv, Rio de Janeiro. pp 222–223.