This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. 1) Projects currently in progress My Ph.D. student Richard Bernhardt and I have been studying effects of perchlorate on stickleback fish for the past five years. So far, we have published an analytical chemistry methods paper with three colleagues1, and a paper with William Cresko of the University of Oregon demonstrating that perchlorate causes genetically-female stickleback to develop into functional hermaphrodites, and genetically-male fish to develop super large testes2. This manuscript, which was published in August, 2006, also demonstrates that perchlorate interferes with the expression of normal nuptial coloration and reduces survivorship. This study provides the first evidence that perchlorate causes masculinization and is capable of inducing functional hermaphroditism in a nonhermaphroditic vertebrate. Because of these findings, the study received significant media coverage3,4,5. 2) Objectives and goals for grant fiscal year starting May 2007 We plan to begin a two-year stickleback experiment in my lab this May with six treatment groups: control (background), 10 ppb, 50 ppb, 500 ppb, 3,000 ppb, and 30,000 ppb (30,000 corresponds to our experimental level of 30 ppm where we observed hermaphroditism in female stickleback). The stickleback reproductive season begins in May and ends in July, so we plan to have our experimental set up complete by late April. I have requested funds from INBRE to build the experimental set-up this winter.
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