Integrative physiology of animal performance during environmental stress

环境缺氧(低氧)，无论是自然发生的还是由人类活动引起的，都会影响动物在野外的生存和表现。所有脊椎动物都有一些对缺氧的反应能力，但显然有一些物种比其他物种更有能力在缺氧环境中茁壮成长。虽然我们对一些特别耐缺氧的脊椎动物的耐缺氧机制知道很多，但目前尚不清楚从研究这些动物中获得的知识是否可以推广到具有不同耐受性的不同物种。我的研究计划通过研究脊椎动物群体内部和群体之间耐低氧能力的自然差异来解决我们知识中的这一差距。我将使用综合的生理学方法来解释--从分子到生物层面--鱼、哺乳动物和鸟类如何能够在低氧环境中生活和表现。将使用比较进化的方法来识别、赋予低氧耐受的适应意义，并为低氧耐受的呼吸和代谢机制提供环境相关性。这将与模式物种方法相结合，该方法可以提供在非模式生物中探索不切实际的发育和基因组洞察。全球变化正在使低氧成为许多动物的新现实，从生活在富营养化环境中的水生物种到寻求高海拔更凉爽温度的陆生物种。这项拟议的研究很重要，因为它将解释具有不同耐缺氧能力的不同物种如何可能受到全球变化的影响，从而确定最危险的物种。这笔补助金将使我能够完成1名博士、3名硕士和10名理科学士的培训。这些学生将拥有对许多科学职业来说无价的先进技能和技能，并开始培训另外两名研究生。我的工作将产生重大影响，帮助理解和保护我们的自然环境，为加拿大人的健康、生活质量和经济利益服务。

Environmental hypoxia (low oxygen), whether it is naturally occurring or induced by human activities, can impact the survival and performance of animals in the wild. All vertebrates have some capacity for responding to hypoxia, but there are clearly some species that are more capable of thriving in hypoxic environments than others. Although we know a great deal about the mechanisms of hypoxia tolerance in some exceptionally tolerant vertebrates, it is unclear if the knowledge gained from studying these animals can be generalized to different species with different tolerances. My research program addresses this gap in our knowledge by studying the natural variation in hypoxia tolerance within and across vertebrate groups. I will use integrative physiological methodologies to explain - from molecular to organismal levels - how fish, mammals, and birds are able to live and perform in hypoxic environments. A comparative evolutionary approach will be used to identify, ascribe adaptive significance to, and provide environmental relevance for the respiratory and metabolic mechanisms of hypoxia tolerance. This will be combined with a model species approach that can provide developmental and genomic insights that are impractical to explore in non-model organisms. Global change is making hypoxia a new reality for many animals, from aquatic species living in eutrophic environments to terrestrial species seeking cooler temperatures at high altitude. The proposed research is important because it will explain how different species, with different hypoxia tolerances, are likely to be affected by global change, and will thus identify the species that are most at risk. The grant will allow me to complete the training of 1 Ph.D., 3 M.Sc., and 10 B.Sc. students with advanced skills and techniques that are invaluable for many scientific careers, and to begin training two additional graduate students. My work will make significant impacts by helping understand and protect our natural environment for the health, quality of life, and economic benefit of Canadians.