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lab profile
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Dayalan Srinivasan Rowan University Department of Biological Sciences
201 Mullica Hill Rd
Glassboro, NJ 8028
USA
srinivasan@rowan.edu 856-256-4500 ext 3585
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PI: |
YES |
Taxa Studied: |
Invertebrate Animals |
Techniques Employed: |
Quantitative PCR (qPCR), Sanger Sequencing, Solexa (Illumina) Sequencing, Bioinformatics/Sequence Analysis, In Situ Hybridization, Antibody Staining, Confocal Microscopy |
Research Description: |
Research Interests: ƒ?› Molecular, cellular and developmental mechanisms underlying phenotypic plasticity ƒ?› Evolution of insect reproductive plasticity ƒ?› Developmental control of cell division Phenotypic plasticity, the expression of alternate physiological states, morphological forms and/or distinct behaviors in response to specific environments, is a universal phenomenon in animals. Although the evolution of plastic responses is well understood theoretically, little is known about the genetic and molecular mechanisms of this response. The pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, an emerging model system, exhibits an adaptive plasticity in which changes in environmental cues result in either clonal reproduction (via parthenogenesis) or sexual reproduction (via meiosis). How aphids have evolved plasticity in this fundamental process is unknown. The goal of my research program is to understand this reproductive plasticity at the molecular and cellular level. Aphid phenotypic plasticity offers a unique, compelling opportunity to study not only the evolution of complex traits but also multiple levels of biological organization, especially insect epigenetics. In this pursuit, I employ molecular, cellular, genomic, post-genomic and comparative approaches to develop a mechanistic understanding of this adaptive, evolved plasticity. |
Lab Web Page: |
http://www.rowan.edu/colleges/las/departments/biologicalSci/facultyStaff/DayalanSrinivasan.htm |
Willing to Host Undergraduates: |
YES |
Actively Seeking Undergraduates: |
YES |
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