U.S.-Mexico Planning Visit to Plan Collaborative Research in Molecular Ecology

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9812311VrijenhoekThis U.S.-Mexico award will support a planning visit by Dr. Robert C. Vrijenhoek of Rutgers University to work with Dr. Guillermo Soberon-Chavez, director of the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM-Guaymas, Mexico). Together they will develop a cooperative research project on the molecular systematics, population genetics and conservation of Sonoran Desert fish.Dr. Vrijenhoek is an expert on the genetics and ecology of freshwater fish from the Sonoran region of Mexico. Studies of Sonoran topminnows in the genus Poeciliopsis reveal that these fish are excellent model organisms for a variety of field and experimental studies. The planned collaboration will be surveying the status of populations in the Sonoran region to assess anthropogenic impacts due to stream diversion, canalization, and the introduction of exotic species. In addition to this work, Dr. Vrijenhoek and Dr. Soberon plan to design a molecular population genetics and systematics laboratory in Guaymas that will be used by both U.S. and Mexican researchers for genetic analyses of regional fauna.***