Environmental and integrative physiology
Environmental physiology is the science of understanding how living organisms function, how they are adapted to their environment, and the means by which these mechanisms evolved.
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Environmental physiology is the science of understanding how living organisms function, how they are adapted to their environment, and the means by which these mechanisms evolved. Within this framework, Faculty and Graduate Students in the Environmental and Integrative Physiology theme are interested in elucidating how plants and animals integrate and regulate gene expression, biochemical pathways, cellular, tissue and organ function in response to changing environments. Some of the research questions currently under investigation include:
- Why can some plants cope with saline environments while others cannot?
- How does mitochondrial function respond to life in extreme environments?
- What physiological mechanisms did extinct mammals employ in the Ice-ages?
- What are the key factors that regulate food intake in mammals?
- How can aquatic animals survive in high-ammonia environments?
- How do ancient fishes regulate their salt and water balance?
There is a high degree of a collaborative effort between researchers in the physiology theme group. This collegiality fosters the sharing of new ideas, state-of-the-art equipment and newly renovated facilities, thus driving the development of novel research techniques to address questions arising from our research.