Marc-Jan Gubbels

Professor Marc-Jan Gubbels is a faculty member in the Biology Department at Boston College. His research focuses on the cell biology of the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii and other Apicomplexa, with an emphasis on understanding cell division mechanisms, host cell invasion, and parasite adaptation. He holds a BS and MS from Wageningen University (Netherlands), a PhD from Utrecht University, and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Georgia. His work integrates genetic, genomic, and imaging techniques to study parasite biology and has led to collaborations with institutions like Harvard and UMass Boston.

Research interests include the modular cell division plasticity of Apicomplexa, the role of the basal complex in Toxoplasma, calcium-dependent secretion processes, and lab-adaptation changes in parasites. His team employs single-cell genomics (scRNA-seq, scATAC-seq) and iterative expansion microscopy (pan-ExM) to dissect these processes. Key findings include insights into cytokinesis machinery, microneme trafficking, and transcriptional regulation during the lytic cycle.

Publications highlight advancements in understanding parasite cell division, host cell egress mechanisms, and the functional roles of proteins like ferlin1 and AP2XII-8. Collaborations focus on comparative transcriptomics of Babesia species and Apicomplexan division modes. Despite no explicitly listed awards, his contributions to the field are recognized through extensive peer-reviewed publications and interdisciplinary research efforts.