Human-driven habitat destruction has triggered a severe biodiversity crisis, particularly threatening hyper-diverse but morphologically similar freshwater groups like Neotropical forage fish. In Western Ecuador, unique tetra species face potential extinction, yet population trends often go unnoticed due to the difficulty of taxonomic identification, leading to significant gaps in conservation monitoring. To address this gap, this project focuses on sequencing and analyzing the complete mitochondrial genomes of four distinct tetra species: Eretmobrycon festae, Eretmobrycon ecuadorensis, Eretmobrycon brevirostris, and Landonia latidens. Genomic DNA was isolated, quantified, underwent library preparation, and processed through Nanopore sequencing. Following sequencing, bioinformatic analysis was performed on a Linux operating system utilizing the automated MitoZ pipeline for de novo mitogenome assembly, annotation, and visualization, as previous research has shown that MitoZ is able to reconstruct full-length mitogenomes with higher accuracy than other assemblers. Complete mitochondrial sequence data were then analyzed using Geneious software to reconstruct the four genomes. Comparative genomics was employed to evaluate sequence divergence, focusing on variations between coding and non-coding regions. Non-synonymous mutations were examined to identify structural and functional changes in protein sequences that may be associated with evolutionary adaptation to changing environments. Ultimately, this research aims to generate mitogenomic data necessary to accurately track species diversity, map phylogenetic relationships, and support conservation management strategies for Neotropical freshwater ecosystems.

The actin cytoskeleton is the primary determinant of cell shape and driver of shape change in animal cells. Understanding how alterations in the cytoskeleton translate into changes in cell mechanics not only requires direct biophysical measurements but also intracellular biosensors that can detect forces on the cytoskeleton with high spatiotemporal resolution. Towards these ends, we are testing two candidate reporters, consisting of red or green fluorescent proteins fused to the THATCH domain of Talin and the LIM domains of Zyxin. These two actin-binding domains form “catch” bonds with actin filaments, non-covalent interactions where binding to actin filaments are higher when the filament is under tension. To validate these candidates, we are expressing each a variety of cellular contexts, including cultured mammalian cells. In human U2OS osteosarcoma cell, the Talin-based reporter bound to all actin structures when expressed at high levels, whereas the Zyxin-LIM domain bound to focal adhesions and cell-cell contacts, suggesting that the Zyxin construct may be exhibiting the desired mechanosensitivity. Current efforts are focused up or downregulating myosin II contractility in cells expressing these constructs and then measuring whether reporter recruitment to the actin cytoskeleton increases or decreases in response. Lastly, the activity of these reporters will be analyzed in embryonic systems, where it is anticipated that they can be used to map forces in a multicellular context.

"Biodiversity is known to increase ecosystem productivity, but the mechanisms behind this relationship are not fully understood. One possible explanation is microclimate mediation, where plants influence local temperature, humidity, and soil moisture. This project will examine how biodiversity shapes microclimate conditions across a grassland-to-forest ecotone at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve in Minnesota. We will measure air temperature, relative humidity, vapor pressure deficit (VPD), soil moisture, and light interception across biodiversity gradients in grassland, savanna, and forest ecosystems. Data will be collected from both experimentally manipulated biodiversity plots and naturally occurring plant communities. Biodiversity will be measured using species richness and community composition data from the BioCON, Forest and Biodiversity (FAB), and Savanna research platforms. This study will test whether more diverse plant communities create cooler, wetter, and less stressful microclimates than less diverse communities. We will also examine whether ecosystem type and species composition influence microclimate conditions and whether patterns observed in biodiversity experiments are similar to those found in natural ecosystems. Understanding how biodiversity affects microclimate may provide insight into the mechanisms linking biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. These findings may also improve our understanding of how biodiversity loss could affect ecosystem responses to climate change and environmental stress."