NSF recommends our proposal to study epigenetic responses to ocean acidification for funding

Post date: Jan 5, 2017 8:22:19 PM

There are many ways that species can respond to a stress. Between the realm of pure plastic responses (such as increasing metabolism when temperature is increased, but metabolism goes back to normal when temperature does) and responses caused purely by genetics (such as having DNA genotype that allows one to perform better under higher temperatures), are epigenetic responses: molecules that bind to the DNA in response to stress and change the way that DNA is expressed. While plastic responses cannot be inherited and the DNA sequence has strict rules of inheritance, the exciting aspect of epigenetics is that it can change the expression of DNA in response to stress and then inherited.

Recently, the Directorate of Ocean Sciences at NSF recommended our proposal to study the induction and inheritance of DNA methylation - a common epigenetic mechanism - in response to ocean acidification in Eastern Oysters. This research is in collaboration with Justin Ries at Northeastern (expert in ocean acidification) and Steven Roberts at the University of Washington (expert in DNA methylation).