Transcriptomics in environmental physiology and finding the ‘genes that matter’ for environmental adaptation

Transcriptomics (quantifying changes in the cellular mRNA pool) is a popular approach for exploring how organisms respond to environmental change. Broadly, my research uses transcriptomic approaches to determine the mechanistic basis of environmental tolerance and identify genotypes and phenotypes sensitive or resistant to abiotic change. Along with collaborators, I have used transcriptomics to explore the effects of ocean acidification on early life stage purple sea urchins, resolve spatial and temporal patterns of environmental stress in wild migrating salmon, and understand the mechanistic basis of differing salinity tolerance in oysters. While transcriptomics provides a sensitive means for identifying gene transcripts regulated by the environment, uncertainty remains as to whether genes differentially expressed in response to environmental change are actually most important for coping with that change (i.e. the ‘genes that matter’). As the accessibility of transcriptomics continues to increase, it becomes necessary to better understand the relationship between gene expression and fitness.

Speaker: Tyler Evans, Department of Biological Sciences, California State University East Bay