Sep 23
Clocks, Batteries and Scavengers: A Review of Mussel Physiology
Life on earth is adapted to cyclical environments such as day/night cycles, seasons, and the ebb and flow of ocean tides.The intertidal-zone is one of the most cyclical biomes on the planet. Inhabitants of shoreline-communities are challenged by fluctuations in oxygen, nutrients, temperature, feeding time, salinity, and light.The adaptations that allow animals in fluctuating environments to cope with these challenges has puzzled scientists and observers of natural phenomena for years.
My research program uses non-model and model systems to identify the physiological mechanisms that orchestrate life in cyclical and stressful environments. Using the the sessile intertidal model-mussel species, Mytilus californianus, I investigated, molecular, biochemical, physiological, and behavioral adaptations to life in extreme environments.
From transcriptome expression to respiration, I meticulously examined the functions within cells and organs exposed to shifting environments in the lab and in nature. My work eventually examines how environmental-physiological interactions shape population abundance and distribution.
In this seminar, I will discuss how mussels work in context of my previous studies and others.