Department of Biology
Dr. Susan C.P. Renn
email: renns@reed.edu
phone: 503 517 7967
office: B124
Fish 'N Chips: Comparative Functional Genomics in African Cichlid Fishes. The evolution of behavior.
Lofty Goal
Through the synergistic combination of functional genomics with
comparative studies in behavior, physiology, and ecology, I aim to
understand the genetic basis of behavior from an evolutionary
perspective. By understanding the molecular basis of species-specific,
and context-specific behaviors, I aim to determine if similar behaviors
result from conserved, or converged processes of evolution.
Model Organism(s)
The African Cichlid Fishes have experienced an incredibly rapid
and recent radiation that has resulted in hundreds of species that are very
closely related yet exhibit a wealth of morphological and behavioral diversity
with very low genomic sequence divergence. The genomic similarity allows us
to use one genomic tool to address the molecular basis of the great diversity.
Genomic Tool - cDNA microarray
The cichlid microarray contains ~ 20,000 cDNA features that represent
~ 13,000 unique cichlid genes. With this micorarray we can measure the
relative level of expression for each gene. Using bioinformatic approaches
we can identify gene modules and networks that underlie complex
behaviors.
