MEB Tuesday Noon Seminar

Oct 26

TWR and Zoom link

 Speaker: Kwasi Connor, UCI (an MBBO alumnus!)

Title: Mussels are Models for Understanding Facultative Anaerobiosis in Fluctuating Environments  

Abstract: Facultative anaerobiosis spans throughout the world and across taxa including those that cause human disease.  Bivalve mollusks that reside within the intertidal marine environment are reliable models of facultative anaerobes because they dramatically enter a hypoxic state and undergo anaerobic metabolism upon low-tide exposure to air.  To better understand facultative anaerobiosis in animals, our lab monitors the physiology of mussels in laboratory settings using gene and enzyme expression.  We focus on processes that facultative anaerobes use to acquire energy across daily changes in environment.  I will discuss the historic foundations of my research and how it has shaped my current activities.