Highlighted Articles

Toxicological Sciences
Comparative analysis of zebrafish and planarian model systems for developmental neurotoxicity screens using an 87-compound library
This paper was awarded the “Tox. Sci. Paper of the year 2019” by the Society of Toxicology.

Proc Natl Acad Sci
Mechanics dictate where and how freshwater planarians fission
(* first author). Featured in Nature Physics.

Biophysical Journal
The dynamics of mouth opening in Hydra
(* first author). Featured as “New and Notable” and BPS “Paper of the year 2016”
The following is a complete list of publications. Undergraduate and student authors are underlined:
Neurotoxicology and Planarian Behavior
D. Ireland, V. Bochenek, D. Chaiken, C. Rabeler, S. Onoe, A. Soni, and E.-M. S. Collins (2020), Dugesia japonica is the best suited of three planarian species for high-throughput toxicology screening. Chemosphere, PMID: 32298908.
Z. Sabry, A. Ho, D. Ireland, C. Rabeler, O. Cochet-Escartin, and E.-M. S. Collins (2019), Pharmacological or genetic targeting of Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels can disrupt the planarian escape response. Plos ONE, PMID: 31805147.
S. Zhang, D. Ireland, N. Sipes, M. Behl, and E.-M. S. Collins (2019), Screening for neurotoxic potential of 15 flame retardants using freshwater planarians. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, PMID: 30943442.
D. Hagstrom, L. Truong, S. Zhang, R. L. Tanguay, and E.-M. S. Collins (2019), Comparative analysis of zebrafish and planarian model systems for developmental neurotoxicity screens using an 87-compound library. Toxicological Sciences, PMID: 30011007.
This paper was awarded the “Tox. Sci. Paper of the year 2019” by the Society of Toxicology.
S. Zhang, D. Hagstrom, P. Hayes, A. Graham, and E.-M. S. Collins (2019), Multi-behavioral endpoint testing of an 87-chemical compound library in freshwater planarians. Toxicological Sciences, PMID: 29893936.
D. Hagstrom, S. Zhang, A. Ho, E.S. Tsai, Z. Radic, A. Jahromi, Y. He, K.J. Kaj, P. Taylor, and E.-M. S. Collins (2018), Planarian cholinesterase: molecular and functional characterization of an evolutionarily ancient enzyme to study organophosphorus pesticide toxicity. Archives of Toxicology, PMID: 29167930.
D. Hagstrom, H. Hirokawa, Z. Radic, L. Zhang, P. Taylor, and E.-M. S. Collins (2016),Planarian cholinesterase: in vitro characterization of an evolutionarily ancient enzyme to study organophosphorus pesticide toxicity and reactivation. Archives of Toxicology, PMID: 27990564.
O. Cochet-Escartin*, J.A. Carter*, M. Chakraverti-Wuerthwein*, J. Sinha, and E.-M. S. Collins (2016), Slo1 regulates ethanol-induced scrunching in freshwater planarians. Physical Biology PMID: 27609598.
(* first author)
D. Hagstrom, O. Cochet-Escartin, and E.-M. S. Collins (2016), Planarian brain regeneration as a model system for developmental neurotoxicology. Regeneration, DOI 10.1002/reg2.52.
D. Hagstrom, O. Cochet-Escartin, S. Zhang, C. Khuu, and E.-M. S. Collins (2015), Freshwater Planarians as a New Invertebrate System for Neurotoxicology. Toxicological Sciences, PMID: 26116028.
J.A. Talbot, K.W. Currie, B.J. Pearson, and E.-M. S. Collins (2014), Smed-dynA-1 is a nervous system specific dynamin in the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea required for normal locomotion. Biology Open, PMID: 24950970.
Biomechanics
R. Wang, T. Goel, K. Khazoyan, Z. Sabry, H.J. Quan, P.H. Diamond and E.-M. S. Collins (2019), Mouth Function Determines The Shape Oscillation Pattern In Regenerating Hydra Tissue Spheres. Biophysical Journal, PMID: 31443907.
K. Chiou and E.-M. S. Collins (2018), Review: Why we need mechanics to understand animal regeneration. Developmental Biology, PMID: 29179947.
O. Cochet-Escartin, T. Locke, W. Shi, R.E. Steele, E.-M. S. Collins (2017), Physical mechanisms driving cell sorting in Hydra. Biophysical Journal, PMID: 29262375.
Featured as “New and Notable”.
P.T. Malinowski*, O. Cochet-Escartin*, K.J. Kaj, E. Ronan, A. Groisman, P.H. Diamond, E.-M. S. Collins (2017), Mechanics dictate where and how freshwater planarians fission. Proc Natl Acad Sci, PMID: 28973880.
(* first author) Featured in Nature Physics.
J.A. Carter*, C. Hyland*, R.E. Steele, E.-M. S. Collins (2016), The dynamics of mouth opening in Hydra. Biophysical Journal, PMID: 26958895.
(* first author) Featured as “New and Notable” and BPS “Paper of the year 2016”.
O. Cochet-Escartin, K. Mickolajczyk, and E.-M. S. Collins (2015), Scrunching: A novel escape gait in planarians. Physical Biology, PMID: 26356147.
E.-M. Schotz, M. Lanio, J.A. Talbot, and M.L. Manning (2013), Glassy dynamics in threedimensional embryonic tissues. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, PMID: 24068179.
M.L. Manning, R.A. Foty, M.S. Steinberg, and E.-M. Schotz (2010), Coaction of intercellular adhesion and cortical tension specifies tissue surface tension. Proc Natl Acad Sci, PMID: 20616053.
E.-M. Schotz (2008), Dynamics and Mechanics of Zebrafish Embryonic Tissues – A study of the physical properties of zebrafish germlayer cells and tissues and cell dynamics during early embryogenesis, VDM publishing group.
Population Statistics and Evolution
X. Yang*, K.J. Kaj*, D.J. Schwab, and E.-M. S. Collins (2017), Coordination of size-control, reproduction and memory in freshwater planarians. Physical Biology, PMID: 28467318.
(* first author)
J.A. Carter, C.H. Lind, M.P. Truong, and E.-M. S. Collins (2015), To each his own: Reproductive Strategies and Success of Three Common Planarian Species: Schmidtea mediterranea, Dugesia japonica and Dugesia tigrina. J. Stat. Phys., DOi 10.1007/s10955-015-1310-1.
M.A. Thomas, S. Quinodoz, and E.-M. Schotz (2012), Size matters! Birth size and a size independent stochastic term determine asexual reproduction dynamics in freshwater planarians. J. Stat. Phys., DOI: 10.1007/s10955-012-0514-x.
S. Quinodoz, M.A. Thomas, J. Dunkel, and E.-M. Schotz (2011), The more the merrier? Entropy and statistics of asexual reproduction in freshwater planarians. J. Stat. Phys., DOI: 10.1007/s10955-011-0157-3.
This article was featured in the Ivy League Week.
J. Dunkel, J.A. Talbot, and E.-M. Schotz (2011), Memory and obesity affect the population dynamics of asexual freshwater planarians. Physical Biology, PMID: 21263170.
Developmental Biology
B.G. Lambrus, O. Cochet-Escartin, P.A. Newmark , E.-M. S. Collins*, and J.J. Collins* (2015), Tryptophan hydroxylase gene function is required for eye melanogenesis in the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea. Plos ONE, PMID: 26017970.
(* corresponding author).
E.-M. Schotz, R.D. Burdine, F. Julicher, M.S. Steinberg, C.-P. Heisenberg, and R.A.Foty (2008), Quantitative Differences in Tissue Surface Tension Influence Zebrafish Germ Layer Positioning. HFSP Journal, Vol.2 (1), pp. 1-56.
F. Ulrich*, M. Krieg*, E.-M. Schoetz*, V. Link, I. Castanon, V. Schnabel, A. Taubenberger, D. Mueller, P.-H. Puech, C.-P. Heisenberg. Wnt11 Functions in Gastrulation by Controlling Cell Cohesion through Rab5c and E Cadherin, Developmental Cell, Vol.9, 555564 (2005).
(* first author)
Methods and Techniques
R. Wang and E.-M. S. Collins (2020), A novel bilateral grafting technique for studying patterning in Hydra. Developmental Biology, PMID: 32165148.
T. Goel, R. Wang, S. Martin, E. Lanphear, and E.-M. S. Collins (2019), Linalool acts as a fast and reversible anesthetic in Hydra. Plos ONE, PMID: 31648269.
C. Tran, S. Fu, T. Rowe, and E.-M. S. Collins (2017), Generation and long-term maintenance of nerve-free Hydra vulgaris, J. Vis. Exp.(125), e56115.
J.P. Dexter*, M.B. Tamme*, C.H. Lind*, and E.-M. S. Collins (2014). On-chip immobilization of planarians for in vivo imaging. Nature Scientific Reports, DOI: 10.1038/srep06388.
M.A. Thomas and E.-M. Schoetz (2011). SAPling: A Scan-Add-Print barcoding database system to label and track asexual organisms. Journal of Experimental Biology, PMID: 21993779.
J.A. Talbot and E.-M. Schotz (2011), Quantitative characterization of planarian wildtype behavior as a platform for screening locomotion phenotypes. J Experimental Biology, PMID: 21389189.
Outreach and Education
Vista SSEP Mission 11 Team, D. Hagstrom, C. Bartee, and E.-M. S. Collins (2018), Studying Planarian Regeneration Aboard the International Space Station within the Student Space Flight Experimental Program. Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences, doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2018.00012.
E.-M. S. Collins and T.R. Calhoun (2014), Raising the bar in freshman science education. Journal of College Science Teaching, Vol. 43 (4), pp. 26-35.
E.-M. Schoetz, S. Barolo, R.J. Full, O. Gigliotta, F. Grey, E.C. Guinan, J. Lee, A. Lindner, R. B. Lotto, D. Misevic, T. E. Murphy, J. Niemela, Z. Popovic, L. Riboli-Sasco, I. Riedel-Kruse, M.F. Schatz, T. Schaus, M.D. Shattuck, Ke. Showalter, K.O. Stanley, H.L. Swinney, L. Xu, and F. Taddei (2012). Training the next generation of “night scientists” (Workshop Summary), ICASE Newsletter_052012.