Research in our lab is broadly based around the phenomenon of self/non-self recognition (allorecognition) in the colonial ascidian, Botryllus schlosseri. This allorecognition reaction links a number of disparate fields, including immunology, stem cell, developmental and evolutionary biology, and also has ecological consequences. Several unique aspects of the Botryllus life history make it a novel, experimentally-accessible model organism to ask pertinent questions in these distinct disciplines.