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

9812311 Vrijenhoek美国-墨西哥奖将支持罗伯特C。罗格斯大学的Vrijenhoek与蒙特雷技术和研究所所长Guillermo Soberon-Chavez博士合作。 Vrijenhoek博士是墨西哥索诺兰地区淡水鱼遗传学和生态学方面的专家。 对Poeciliopsis属的索诺兰topminnows的研究表明，这些鱼是各种野外和实验研究的极好模式生物。 计划中的合作将调查索诺兰地区的人口状况，以评估由于河流改道、运河化和引进外来物种而造成的人为影响。 除了这项工作之外，Vrijenhoek博士和Soberon博士还计划在瓜伊马斯设计一个分子种群遗传学和系统学实验室，供美国和墨西哥的研究人员用于区域动物群的遗传分析。

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.***