A5089656576- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Melanoma and MAPK Pathways
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Computational Drug Discovery Methods
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
- Cutaneous Melanoma Detection and Management
- Echinoderm biology and ecology
- Environmental and Biological Research in Conflict Zones
- Colorectal Cancer Treatments and Studies
- Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and Behavior
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Agriculture and Biological Studies
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Aquaculture disease management and microbiota
- vaccines and immunoinformatics approaches
- Physiological and biochemical adaptations
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Ichthyology and Marine Biology
- Ocean Acidification Effects and Responses
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Cephalopods and Marine Biology
- Marine Sponges and Natural Products
Auburn University
2014-2024
University of North Carolina Wilmington
2023
Phylogenomic studies have improved understanding of deep metazoan phylogeny and show promise for resolving incongruences among analyses based on limited numbers loci. One region the animal tree that has been especially difficult to resolve, even with phylogenomic approaches, is relationships within Lophotrochozoa (the clade includes molluscs, annelids, flatworms others). Lack resolution in could be due insufficient phylogenetic signal, limitations taxon and/or gene sampling, or systematic...
Abstract Background Symbiotic relationships between microbes and their hosts are widespread diverse, often providing protection or nutrients, may be either obligate facultative. However, the genetic mechanisms allowing organisms to maintain host-symbiont associations at molecular level still mostly unknown, in case of bacterial-animal associations, most studies have focused on adaptations bacterial partner. The gutless tubeworms (Siboglinidae, Annelida) chemoautotrophic endosymbionts (except...
Deep‐sea tubeworms (Annelida, Siboglinidae) represent dominant species in deep‐sea chemosynthetic communities (e.g. hydrothermal vents and cold methane seeps) occur muddy sediments organic falls. Siboglinids lack a functional digestive tract as adults, they rely on endosymbiotic bacteria for energy, making them of evolutionary physiological interest. Despite their importance, inferred history this group has been inconsistent among studies based different molecular markers. In particular,...
Meiofauna are important components of food webs and for nutrient exchange between the benthos water column. Recent studies have focused on these communities in Gulf Mexico due to potential impacts Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DWHOS). In particular, intertidal meiofaunal from Mobile Bay Dauphin Island, Alabama, were previously shown shift predominately metazoan taxa prior DWHOS a fungal-dominated community after spill. However, knowledge variability within remains unknown. Herein, we used...
Abstract Background High-quality genomic resources facilitate investigations into behavioral ecology, morphological and physiological adaptations, the evolution of architecture. Lizards in genus Sceloporus have a long history as important ecological, evolutionary, models, making them valuable target for development resources. Findings We present high-quality chromosome-level reference genome assembly, SceUnd1.0 (using 10X Genomics Chromium, HiC, Pacific Biosciences data),...
Reptiles and other nonmammalian vertebrates have transcriptionally active nucleated red blood cells. If transcriptomes can provide quantitative data to address questions relevant molecular ecology, this could circumvent the need euthanize animals assay tissues. This would allow longitudinal sampling of animals' responses treatments, as well protected taxa. We developed annotated from six reptile species found on average 25,000 proteins are being transcribed in blood, there is a CORE group...
Despite extensive study on hemoglobins and hemocyanins, little is known about hemerythrin (Hr) evolutionary history. Four subgroups of Hrs have been documented, including: circulating Hr (cHr), myohemerythrin (myoHr), ovohemerythrin (ovoHr), neurohemerythrin (nHr). Annelids the greatest diversity oxygen carrying proteins among animals are only phylum in which all documented. To examine annelids to further understand evolution Hrs, we employed approaches survey annelid transcriptomes...
Abstract High-quality genomic resources facilitate population-level and species-level comparisons to answer questions about behavioral ecology, morphological physiological adaptations, as well the evolution of architecture. Squamate reptiles (lizards snakes) are particularly diverse in characteristics that have intrigued evolutionary biologists, but high-quality for squamates relatively sparse. Lizards genus Sceloporus a long history important ecological, evolutionary, models, making them...
Abstract Evolutionary perspectives on the deployment of immune factors following infection have been shaped by studies a limited number biomedical model systems with heavy emphasis vertebrate species. Although their contributions to contemporary immunology cannot be understated, broader phylogenetic perspective is needed understand evolution across Metazoa. In our study, we leverage differential gene expression analyses identify genes implicated in antiviral response acorn worm hemichordate,...
Abstract Most efforts at improving accuracy in phylogenomic reconstructions have focused on tree‐building methods or orthology determination. Even though the use of whole genome sequence transcriptome data is increasing, degree to which accurate assembly and annotation influence phylogenetic inference has not been well explored. Here, we low‐coverage sequencing spionid annelids explore impact different assemblers strategies tree reconstruction. We also produce a hypothesis that spans breadth...
Abstract The Antarctic sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri (Echinoida; Echinidae) is routinely used as a model organism for biology. Here, we present high-quality genome of S. neumayeri. This chromosomal-level assembly was generated using PacBio long-read sequencing and Hi-C chromatin conformation capture sequencing. 885.3-Mb exhibits high contiguity with scaffold length N50 36.7 Mb assembled into 20 chromosomal scaffolds. These putative chromosomes exhibit degree synteny compared to other...
Abstract Metastatic skin cutaneous melanomas remain a significant clinical problem. In particular, those that do not contain gain-of-function BRAF allele challenging to treat because of the paucity targets for effective therapeutic intervention. Thus, here we investigate role ERBB4 receptor tyrosine kinase in wild-type alleles (“ WT melanomas”). We have performed silico analyses public repository (The Cancer Genome Atlas - TCGA) melanoma gene expression and mutation data (TCGA-SKCM set)....
Introduction: Despite advancements made in the treatment of metastatic melanoma, 5-year survival rate remains about 20%. The high mortality is thought to be due there being no other clinically actionable targets than those that have been identified RAS/RAF/MEK/MAPK pathway. Our analyses Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Skin Cutaneous Melanoma (SKCM) data set revealed 15% cases harbor at least one nonsynonymous missense mutation ERBB4 gene. This incidence significantly higher ERBB genes same set....