Abstract:

The main goal of my laboratory is to elucidate novel cellular mechanisms in marine organisms. Some specific projects include pH sensing and regulation in fish, calcification, photosynthesis and energy metabolism in coral, and silicification in diatoms. Working with diverse species allows us to identify common and species-specific mechanisms, with three major implications: (1) generation of hypothesis about the evolution of cellular mechanisms; (2) identification of species with differential susceptibility to environmental stress based on mechanistic models; and (3) optimization of mechanisms and culture conditions for biotechnology and aquaculture applications.