In August, Biology assistant professor Will Ratcliff and his collaborators received a three year, $562,000 NASA grant to investigate the origin and evolutionary consequences of multicellular life cycles.  All multicellular organisms exhibit a characteristic life cycle that alternates between stages of reproduction, growth and development. This life cycle is critical for the evolution of multicellular complexity, playing a central role in transporting fitness from cells to multicellular individuals. Despite their importance, the evolutionary origins of multicellular life cycles are poorly understood. A key factor limiting progress has been the fact that evolutionary transitions to multicellularity on Earth have been both ancient and rare. Using a combination of synthetic biology and experimental evolution, we have created novel multicellular organisms in fungal and algal model systems. This gives us a unique opportunity to investigate the origin of multicellular life cycles, and assess their role in the evolution of complex life.