CURRENT PROJECTS
Currently I am working in the lab of Dr. Daniel Bolnick studying evolutionary and ecological immunology in a fish-parasite system. The Gasterosteus aculeatus (three-spined stickleback)- Schistocephalus solidus host-parasite system is a unique example of independent repeated evolution of host immunity to a novel parasite. Approximately 12,000 years ago, sticklebacks colonized freshwater lakes where they were exposed to a cestode parasite. Populations have thus independently evolved immunity and now vary significantly in parasite resistance. Thus the stickleback-cestode system provides an excellent evolutionary immunology system which I will use to explore a number of key ecoimmunological questions.
|
Development of cell culture techniques for measuring fibrosis response in a host-parasite system
A key component of parasite resistance is stickleback fibrosis response. Thus, I am currently developing fibroblast cell cultures to measure variation in fibrosis phenotype in vitro and elucidate cellular mechanisms of immune variation. We currently have cell lines from a number of stickleback populations, with plans to expand our repertoire in the near future. The ultimate goal of this project is to use CRISPR or other genetic manipulation techniques to create modified lines and evaluate the roles of candidate resistance genes on fibrosis in vivo. This work is funded by an NSF EDGE grant. |
Using single cell RNAseq to investigate
immunity in non-model systems In many non-model systems, the fine details of immunity, including immune cell repertoires and cell type function, are poorly understood. Currently I am developing plans to utilize advanced single cell RNA sequencing technologies to elucidate the dynamics of immune cell types in the three-spined stickleback. In addition to describing general immune cell repertoire in this species, we also hope to compare cell types and functions across populations to gain further insight regarding the cellular mechanisms contributing to observed parasite resistance. This work is funded by an American Association of Immunologists Intersect Fellowship. |
PAST PROJECTS
My dissertation research focused on understanding the mechanisms of and factors contributing to disease resistance in corals as well as the ecological consequences of immune response. I have studied these questions in a variety of laboratory and natural settings as well as using a variety of coral species. Predominately my research relied on transcriptional and biochemical techniques to get at differences in gene expression and protein activity which contribute to differences in immune response between coral individuals and species. Below is a list of my dissertation projects. Funding for these projects has come predominantly from NSF and from the UTA Phi Sigma Society
Gene to Protein Correlations During Coral Immune Response
Using an R package called WGCNA, I identified groups of coexpressed genes that were correlated to biochemical measures of coral immunity. Furthermore, I selected individual genes from these coexpression groups and correlated their expression to biochemical measures of immunity to identify potential new candidate immune genes in the coral Orbicella faveolata. |
Autophagy vs. Apoptosis During the Coral Immune Response
I compared the transcriptional response of four corals with varying disease resistance to immune stimulation with lipopolysaccharides. Using the Inguinity Pathway Analysis, I was able to identify similar and uniquely activated pathways among the four species of corals. This analysis revealed that the interplay between apoptosis and autophagic responses may contribute to disease susceptibility in corals. |
Immune Trade Offs in a Caribbean Octocoral
In collaboration with a former student in the Mydlarz lab, I analyzed the transcriptome of octocorals, Eunicea calyculata during a disease outbreak of a novel disease. This disease causes a heavily melaninzed appearance of tissues. WGCNA analysis and correlation of groups of coexpressed genes revealed tradeoffs between immunity and cellular growth in corals affected by the disease. |
Symbionts Suppress Host Immunity to Promote Tolerance
Using a series of experiments I investigated the relationships between host immunity, symbiont density, and the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) pathway. First, I manipulated activity of the TGF-beta pathway, which is believed to maintain symbiosis in cnidarians, and measured the effects on host immune response. Enhancement of this pathway significantly reduced host immune response, while inhibition of the pathway had the opposite effect. This is the first evidence of an immunosuppressive role of this pathway. In the second experiment, we experimentally manipulated symbiont density in replicate coral cores and observed effects on host immunity. Preliminary findings suggest that increased symbiont density significantly reduces expression of candidate immune genes. A meta-analysis of these two experiments is forthcoming. |
