Biology Seminar Series

Every Friday during the academic year, the UTM Biology Department hosts distinguished researchers from universities worldwide to present their work to our academic community. This seminar series offers students a unique opportunity to explore a wide range of research topics and gain valuable insights in areas such as Cell and Systems Biology, as well as Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

Where: Instructional Building (IB) 140

When: Fridays, 12 pm to 1 pm

Anhad is smiling with a bright blue turban on and matching patterned blue tie. He is wearing a grey suit with a light undershirt, and has his arms crossed in front of his chest in a posing style.

PI: Prof. Adriano Senatore

Title: Evolution of iGluR ligand specificity, polyamine regulation, and ion selectivity inferred from a placozoan Epsilon receptor

Abstract: Epsilon ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) form a distinct sub-family among metazoan receptors, separate from AMPA, Kainate, Delta, and Phi (AKDF), NMDA, and Lambda sub-families. In this study, we investigated the evolutionary and functional characteristics of Epsilon receptors using homologues from the basal invertebrate Trichoplax adhaerens (phylum Placozoa). We constructed a new phylogeny of eukaryotic iGluRs guided by species and a comprehensive phylogeny of placozoan receptors, revealing significant diversification of Epsilon receptors into three conserved subclades, alongside four invariant subclades of AKDF receptors. Functional analysis of the T. adhaerens Epsilon receptor GluE1αA showed strong activation by glycine, alanine, serine, and valine, but not by glutamate. Using structural modeling and mutation experiments, we tested the hypothesis that specific amino acids in the ligand binding domain dictate ligand selectivity. By mutating three amino acids, we altered GluE1αA's selectivity towards glutamate, rendering it sensitive to AMPA and increasing susceptibility to the AMPA/Kainate receptor blocker CNQX. Furthermore, our combined modeling and mutation experiments identified a serine residue in the pore NQR site of GluE1αA, along with a downstream aspartate, as crucial for sensitivity to voltage-dependent polyamine block. This serine residue contrasts with the asparagine and glutamine residues found in AMPA and Kainate receptors, by diminishing both polyamine block and calcium permeation. In summary, our findings highlight conserved molecular determinants regulating polyamine sensitivity between Epsilon and AKDF receptors. Natural variations in NQR residues play significant roles in ion permeation and polyamine regulation, underscoring their importance in receptor function and evolution.

 

 

Erik is wearing an orange scarf over a blue sweater. He is smiling while looking away from the camera. He has brown hair and a full beard.

PI: Prof. John Ratcliffe & Prof. Darryl Gwynne

Title: Traffic Noise as a Source of Acoustic Interference in Crickets

Abstract: Female crickets reared in traffic noise have been reported to be faster or slower to locate male song than those reared in silence across species. We reared female Teleogryllus oceanicus in traffic noise and silence, and had adult females locate male song broadcast amidst traffic noise or silence. We recorded activity of two auditory interneurons in a subset of individuals under identical acoustic conditions. Regardless of rearing treatment, crickets were slower to leave their shelter when presented with male song in silence than in traffic noise, while crickets reared in traffic noise were also slower to leave overall. Crickets reared in traffic noise also had higher baseline AN2 activity, but rearing condition did not affect hearing thresholds or auditory response to male song. Our results demonstrate behavioural and auditory effects of long-term exposure to anthropogenic noise. Further, they support the idea that silence itself is a potentially aversive acoustic condition.

 

Guest seminar speaker poster for Dr. Luis Yanez-Geurra. He has glasses and long hair pulled back into a ponytail. He is smiling with his teeth showing.

Hosted by: Prof. Adriano Senatore

Title: The neuron-free guide to nervous system evolution

Abstract: Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that facilitate communication between neurons, allowing for the coordination of bodily functions and behaviour. Exploring their evolution helps us uncover the origins of neurons and nervous systems, revealing how they emerged and adapted in early life forms. By examining neurotransmitter systems across diverse species, we can trace the evolutionary steps that eventually led to the development of complex nervous systems. This research provides crucial insights into the foundational mechanisms of neural communication and deepens our understanding of the origins of brain function and behaviour in advanced organisms.

Placozoans, simple marine animals that lack nervous systems or organs, offer valuable insights into early animal evolution. Despite their simplicity, they exhibit complex behaviours likely regulated by neurotransmitters. Studying these molecules in placozoans gives us a glimpse into how early forms of cellular communication may have evolved before the emergence of synaptic nervous systems. This sheds light on the origins of complex signalling pathways and the evolution of nervous systems in more complex organisms.

Dr. Claude Desplan's UTM Biology Seminar Series Poster

 

Hosted by: Prof. Ted Erclik

Title: Deterministic and stochastic neural fate determination in the Drosophila Visual System

Research Background: Dr. Desplan has been a Silver Professor at NYU since 1999 where he researches the development and function of the visual system in fruit flies (Drosophila), focusing on color vision. He studied calcium regulation for his Ph.D. at INSERM in Paris and worked on homeodomain proteins as a postdoc at UCSF. At Rockefeller University, he explored the structural and functional aspects of DNA binding domains and insect axis formation. His lab has revealed molecular mechanisms behind the patterning of color-sensing neurons and how color information is processed in the brain, utilizing neural stem cell lineage and patterning genes. Desplan also investigates evolutionary developmental biology using wasps and ants.

Desplan Lab Website: Desplan Lab – NYU Department of Biology

Hosted by: Prof. Ingo Ensminger

Seminar guest speaker poster for Dr. Christoper Wong from University of New Brunswick. He is smiling with short black hair and wearing a blue and black plaid shirt.

Title: Plant Optics: Bridging plant physiology and remote sensing for phenotyping applications

Abstract: Leaf optics is linked to plant physiology and structure. Because of this relationship, we can leverage remote sensing of leaf optical variation to estimate and assess plant traits and functions.  This talk will highlight examples of applications leveraging remote sensing of leaf optics for assessing plant responses across seasons and stress for phenotyping applications.

** Dr. Wong obtained his PhD from UofT where he was part of the Ensminger Lab! He successfully defended his thesis in 2020.

Research Background: 

Dr. Wong's research takes an interdisciplinary approach leveraging remote sensing and ecophysiology to better understand plant and ecosystem response to environment and climate change. He uses remote sensing techniques across spatial scales (leaf, canopy, drone, and satellite) and temporal scales (short-term stress response [heat, drought, disease], phenology, intra- and inter-annual variation) to advance techniques for ecosystem monitoring and assessment, and for applications in high-throughput phenotyping in forestry and agriculture.

seminar poster for dr.scott burgess that details research interests

PI: Prof. Cassidy D'Aloia

Title: Evolution of marine larval dispersal and local retention
 
Abstract: 
The distances that larvae disperse in the ocean varies by at least five orders of magnitude among species, from meters to 100’s of kilometers. This variation has enormous consequences for ecological and evolutionary processes, as well as how we manage ecosystems and predict future impacts. However, a critical question remains: is larval dispersal actually ‘for’ dispersal. I argue that marine larvae often disperse much further than they need to, and that life history and dispersal traits evolve to reduce dispersal (increase larval retention). In light of theory showing when dispersal can be beneficial, I will present results from field experiments, model simulations, and new theory to understand when marine larval dispersal is adaptive or evolves as a by-product of other causes of selection. This allows better explanations and predictions for population recovery, range shifts, and impacts of environmental change.
 
Research Background:
Scott is an associate professor from Florida State University. Much of Scott’s work focuses on the evolution of dispersal, reproductive strategies, and life histories, usually in marine invertebrates. He also studies cryptic diversity in corals. Scott’s lab combines field and lab experiments, and also has a heavy emphasis on theory.
 

seminar poster for dr.jonghwan Kim
PI: Prof. Ho-Sung Rhee
 
Title: Determinants of Human Trophoblast Lineage Development and Cell Fate Conversion
 
Abstract: Cells of the trophoblast lineage are essential for implantation and placentation. While defects in trophoblast lineage development can lead to early pregnancy failure or pregnancy-related disorders, the key regulators involved in normal and abnormal human trophoblast lineage differentiation have not been well characterized. Using human trophoblast stem cells as our model and employing a super-enhancer guided mapping approach, we identified several previously unknown key transcription factors (TFs) responsible for the self-renewal of human trophoblast stem cells and their differentiation into more specialized cell types. Although master TFs can often change cell fate, the fate conversion potential and mechanisms of such TFs remain elusive. To address this, we aimed to identify individual TFs with fate conversion potential towards specific lineages at a single-cell level and to understand their underlying mechanisms.
 
Research Background: Dr. Kim is a molecular bio scientist with a research interest in understanding how transcriptional and epigenetic processes contribute to the regulation of global gene expression and cellular characteristics of various stem cells, including pluripotent stem cells and trophoblast stem cells. His fields of interest include:
  • Cell and Developmental Biology
  • Molecular Biology, Genetics & Genomics
  • System and Synthetic Biology

Dr Ru Zhang

PI: Prof. Rob Ness

Title: Understanding and Improving Heat Tolerance in Photosynthetic Cells Using the Unicellular Green Alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Abstract: High temperature jeopardizes plant growth, reduces crop yields, and hinders biofuel production. This problem will only exacerbate as global warming progresses. Despite this, some of the important mechanisms employed by photosynthetic cells to regulate heat responses remain elusive. To engineer heat-tolerant crops and algae for food and biofuel, it is essential to understand how plant cells respond to and recover from high temperatures. The eukaryotic, unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is an excellent model organism to study many important cellular processes, especially heat responses, due to several prominent advantages, e.g. haploid genome, fast growth, homogenous heat treatment in liquid cultures, similar photosynthesis as in land plants, and simpler gene families than land plants. A genome-saturating, mapped, indexed mutant library of Chlamydomonas is available, enabling both reverse and forward genetic screens. By using tightly controlled Chlamydomonas cultivation and heat treatment in photobioreactors and quantitative, barcoded phenotyping tools, we investigated how Chlamydomonas responded to moderate and acute high temperatures at systems-wide levels, revealed dynamic heat responses under high tempratures, and identified high-confidence, putative heat tolerance genes (HTGs) at the genome-wide levels. Many of these high-confidence HTGs are highly conserved in land plants. We selected one high-confidence HTG, HTG1, for detailed function analysis. HTG1 transcripts in both Chlamydomonas and Arabidopsis were heat-inducible and the corresponding mutants were heat-sensitive, suggesting the information gained in Chlamydomonas can be transformed into land plants to improve crop thermotolerance and we can accelerate gene function analysis in land plants by using Chlamydomonas.

Research Background: Dr. Zhang's research focuses on photosynthesis, covering plant physiology, algal genomics, and organelle evolution. During her PhD at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she studied high-temperature effects on Arabidopsis and tobacco. As a postdoc at the Carnegie Institution, she developed tools for Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, identifying photosynthesis-deficient mutants and creating a mutant library. She also researched the photo-acclimation of Paulinella chromatophora. Passionate about abiotic stress responses in photosynthesis, Ru aims to engineer it for better agriculture and biofuels. Outside of research, she enjoys cooking, gardening, and spending time with her two sons, Zoran and Roger, and started her lab at Danforth in 2016.

Zhang Lab Website: Home | Mysite

Dr. Katie Marshall (UBC)

PI: Prof. Kara Layton

Title: Hot topics in 'cool' adaptations: how Canada's invertebrates survive the winter

Abstract: In Canada's winters, animals must contend with subzero temperatures. Some species migrate, others find warm microhabitats, and yet others just develop the impressive ability to either prevent or survive ice crystal growth at very low temperatures. Our lab studies the ability of boreal forest pest eastern spruce budworm as well as West Coast intertidal invertebrates to survive and thrive in subzero conditions. We work on everything from the biochemistry of ice binding proteins and the biosynthesis of cryoprotectants through to the impacts of winters on population growth and distribution. In a world where winters are changing rapidly, a better understanding of cold and its impacts will help us make better predictions for species ranges in the future. 

Visit the Marshall Lab @ UBC website to learn more about Dr. Marshall!
 

liam mcguire
PI: Prof. John Ratcliffe
 
Title: Migration ecophysiology: the influence of heterothermy in migrating bats and birds
 
Abstract: Migration has long fascinated biologists and the public alike. Many small-bodied bats and birds make amazing migratory journeys each year, leading to the inevitable question- How do they do it? As a graduate student studying bat migration, there was little bat literature that I could rely on and instead I used migratory birds as a model. I published a review titled “What can birds tell us about the migration physiology of bats?” in which I outlined the many aspects of migration that I hypothesized would be similar in the two groups, and a few key differences. My research quickly made it clear that the ability to use daily torpor to reduce energetic costs during non-flight periods has a dramatic effect on nearly all aspects of bat migration, including body composition, stopover duration, landscape scale movement patterns, and possibly even survival likelihood. We continue to study bat migration, but have also turned the question around, asking “What can bats tell us about the migration physiology of birds?”. Our recent studies of migrating songbirds have documented many species using some degree of heterothermy, indicating that heterothermic migration strategies in birds may be more common than previously appreciated. Although passerine birds don’t use deep torpor as observed in migrating bats, the use of shallow torpor can reduce the rest-phase energy budget by 20 – 40%. Taken together, it is now clear from empirical, theoretical, and evolutionary studies that variation in thermoregulatory strategy is an important factor for understanding the ecology and evolution of migration.
 
About Dr. McGuire and his research interests: 
Liam McGuire is a physiological ecologist whose research focuses on how animals cope with energetic challenges driven by environmental conditions. His work spans physiological ecology, movement ecology, thermal biology, and ecological energetics, with an emphasis on bats and birds, which experience extreme energy demands during migration and hibernation. McGuire's current research centers on bat migration and hibernation, comparing it to bird migration and exploring issues like thermoregulation, seasonal resource limitations, and disease impacts such as white-nose syndrome. He is also interested in the ecological and physiological aspects of hibernation, particularly variations in hibernation strategies across species and latitudes.
 
Visit his Google Scholar page to learn more about his recent publications.

 

amanda moehring
PI: Prof. Rosalind Murray
 
Title: The genetic and neural basis of female rejection behaviour
 
Abstract: Female preference usually determines whether or not mating occurs within a species, and can serve as a barrier between species. However, very little is known about the genes and neurons affecting female rejection behaviour. My lab uses genetic and neural tools in Drosophila to identify and characterize the fundamental underlying basis of female receptivity, and have identified individual single nucleotide polymorphisms and single neurons affecting variation in female mate rejection. I will present our exciting recent results.
 
Dr. Moehring's Background and Research Interests: Amanda Moehring, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Biology at Western University, and the Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Functional Genomics. Dr. Moehring completed her PhD in Genetics at North Carolina State University in 2003 with Dr. Trudy Mackay. She went on to do a postdoctoral fellowship at Duke University with Dr. Mohamed Noor, which she completed in 2008. Her research specialties include molecular neuroscience and genetics, cognition and behaviour and development and aging. Amanda utilizes molecular genetics, neuroscience, behavioural assays, and classical genetics in order to understand the genetic and neural basis of complex traits, such as behaviour.  Most of the research in her lab uses the fruitfly, Drosophila.
 

jiami guo

PI: Prof. Baohua Liu 

Title: Primary cilia, underappreciated signaling sensors in the brain

Research Background: Dr. Guo completed her BS degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology at Jilin University, China. She completed her postdoctoral training with Dr. Eva Anton at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.Dr. Guo's research aims to understand how neural circuits are constructed in development and disease, focusing on the primary cilium, a critical signaling structure in cells. The goal of her research is to uncover key mechanisms involved in neural circuit formation and to enhance understanding of the genetic and environmental factors contributing to neurodevelopmental disorders.

Guo Lab Website: HOME | Guo Lab

matt betts seminar speaker
PI: Prof. Helene Wagner 
 
Title: Can we have our cake and eat it too? Conserving forest biodiversity in the age of humans 
 
Abstract: Global wood demand is expected to increase by 50% by 2050. The footprint of managed forests already covers 75% of global forest area and is expanding to meet this demand. Are there any approaches that conserve biodiversity and the climate in the face of rising demand?  I’ll begin by reporting on a long-term study focused on impacts of intensive wood production on biodiversity. Second, I will present some recent research on how forestry practices in eastern Canada have affected bird populations and carbon storage. Finally, I will discuss some landscape and global-scale options for reducing tradeoffs between wood production with biodiversity conservation.
 
Dr. Bett's Background and Research Interests: Dr. Betts has extensive education in environmental science, holding degrees from Queen’s University, University of New Brunswick, University of Waterloo, and Dartmouth College. His research focuses on landscape and wildlife ecology, studying animal movement, population dynamics, ecological thresholds, and sustainable forestry. Key interests include the effects of landscape structure on animal populations, species distribution modeling, and socio-political solutions for conservation.
 
Other titles held by Dr. Betts:
  • Principal Investigator, H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest
  • Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife, OSU
  • Courtesy Faculty, Geosciences, OSU
  • Honorary Research Associate, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick
 
Visit the Betts Forest Landscape Ecology Lab webpage to learn more about Matt!

patrick murphy
PI: Prof. Mark Currie
 
Title: Repetitive Elements Compete for Epigenetic Factors During Embryonic Development
 
Abstract: Chromatin reprogramming during the earliest stages of development harmonizes the maternal and paternally inherited genomes and enables transcriptional activation in zygotes. Initially distinct parent-of-origin-based chromatin patterns become nearly indistinguishable upon stem cell formation, but mechanisms underlying such reprogramming events remain only partially understood. Using the zebrafish model, we find that the maternally inherited genome possesses a substantial number of highly accessible and transcriptionally active transposable elements in newly fertilized embryos, prior to zygotic transcriptional activation, and silencing of these elements coincides with the establishment of pluripotency at the blastula stage. Through pharmacological inhibition and genetic oblation studies, we provide evidence that transposon silencing is a rate-limiting step during maternal zygotic transition, and H3K9-methylation is responsible for silencing maternal chromatin. Our data uncover a potential mechanism in which the oocyte delivers a payload of "open" chromatin in order to delay the onset of zygotic genome activation in fertilized embryos.
 
Dr. Murphy's Research Interests:
The Murphy lab investigates the mechanisms that activate or silence genes as cells transition from one state to another. In very early embryos, stem cells begin to divide and change. Through this process, called differentiation, tissues start to form, and all the cell types of the organism begin to arise. Differentiation relies on a highly coordinated series of gene activation and silencing events. As cells divide during differentiation, changes in gene expression provide each cell type with a specific identity and function. In a similar sense, when the gene expression patterns of normal adult cells change inappropriately, the cell identity also changes, and this can lead to carcinogenesis. Presently, it is unknown what molecular machinery allows a cell to transition from one gene expression state to another.

 
Visit the Murphy Lab website to learn more about Dr. Patrick Murphy!