This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
The salt marsh mussel, Geukensia demissa, is an important member of the salt marsh community that stretches from northern Florida to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. In this habitat, Geukensia helps stabilize sediment, filters particulates from the water, and provides habitat for many species of invertebrates. Because it lives in the intertidal zone, Geukensia must cope with environmental extremes including high and low temperatures, anoxia (absence of oxygen), desiccation and fluctuations in salinity. Students in the Fields lab will determine the biochemical strategies Geukensia employs to survive in this challenging habitat.
The research will employ proteomics (an analysis of changes in types and abundances of proteins in tissue, including identification of proteins whose abundances change significantly) to examine how Geukensia responds to environmental stresses. The research will address the following questions: How much change in an environmental variable is necessary to modify protein expression (a stress response)? Are the same groups of proteins expressed in response to different stresses? Can proteins whose expression changes significantly be identified? Answers to these questions will provide insight into how Geukensia is able to survive in such a variable environment. More generally, the research will reveal similarities in biochemical responses to a variety of stresses, and the extent to which tolerance to one type of stress provides resistance to others. Answers to these questions have important ramifications regarding the ability of organisms to survive in the face of human-induced stresses, including climate change.
In addition to addressing the above questions, this research will engage undergraduates in research, exposing them to biochemistry techniques including 2-D gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. Undergraduates will also have the opportunity to co-author peer-reviewed articles and present their results at national meetings.
