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Manuel Aranda

Professor, Marine Science

Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division 
Center membership :
Red Sea Research Center

manuel.aranda@kaust.edu.sa
Coral Symbiomics Lab


Affiliations

Education Profile

  • Postdoctoral Fellow, King Abdullah University of Science & Technology, 2009
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, 2007
  • Ph.D., Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, 2006
  • Diploma, Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, 2001

Research Interests

Professor Aranda’s research centers on the symbiotic relationship between reef-building corals and dinoflagellate algae of the family Symbiodiniaceae, a partnership critical for coral reef productivity and resilience. His group investigates the molecular mechanisms that establish and regulate this symbiosis, with a focus on how environmental stress, particularly elevated temperatures, disrupts these interactions. Using functional genomics, transcriptomics, and epigenetic profiling, his team explores how corals respond and adapt to thermal stress. A key goal of his team is to understand the role of standing genetic variation, transgenerational plasticity, and epigenetic regulation in shaping coral responses to climate change. This knowledge is applied to develop assisted evolution strategies, including selective breeding and genomic screening, to enhance coral resilience and support reef restoration efforts. 

Selected Publications

  • Cui, G., Mi, J., Moret, A., et al. (2023). "A carbon-nitrogen negative feedback loop underlies the repeated evolution of cnidarian-Symbiodiniaceae symbioses across >700 Myr." Nat. Commun., 14(1), 6949. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42582-y 

  • Cui, G., Konciute, M.K., Ling, L., et al. (2023). "Insights from a sea anemone into the molecular mechanisms explaining the Darwin coral paradox." Sci. Adv., 9(11), eadf7108. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf7108 

  • Salazar, O., Prasanna, A., Cui, G., et al. (2022). "The coral Acropora loripes genome reveals an alternative pathway for cysteine biosynthesis in animals." Sci. Adv., 8(38), eabq0304. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq0304 

  • Voolstra, C.R., Suggett, D.J., Peixoto, R.S., et al. (2021). "Extending the natural adaptive capacity of coral holobionts to survive climate change." Nat. Rev. Earth Environ.. DOI: 10.1038/s43017-021-00214-3 

  • Howells, E., Abrego, D., Liew, Y.J., et al. (2021). "Enhancing the heat tolerance of reef-building corals to future warming." Sci. Adv., 7(34), eabg6070. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg6070 

  • Nand, A., Zhan, Y., Salazar, O.R., et al. (2021). "Chromosome-scale assembly of the coral endosymbiont Symbiodinium microadriaticum genome provides insight into the unique biology of dinoflagellate chromosomes." Nat. Genet., 53, 618–629. DOI: 10.1038/s41588-021-00841-y 

  • Liew, Y.J., Howells, E., Wang, X., et al. (2020). "Intergenerational epigenetic inheritance in reef-building corals." Nat. Clim. Change. DOI: 10.1038/s41558-019-0687-2 

  • Li, Y., Liew, Y.J., Cui, G., et al. (2018). "DNA methylation regulates transcriptional homeostasis of algal endosymbiosis in the coral model Aiptasia." Sci. Adv., 4(8), eaat2142. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aat2142 

  • Liew, Y.J., Zoccola, D., Li, Y., et al. (2018). "Epigenome-associated phenotypic acclimatization to ocean acidification in a reef-building coral." Sci. Adv., 4(6), eaar8028. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aar8028