The Genomics of Physiological Resilience in Killfish

Dr. Andrew Whitehead 
Department of Environmental Toxicology, 
UC Davis 

Dr. Whitehead studies the resistance and resilience of species to environmental stress exposure; he uses the killifish as his primary lab species. He explains that individuals, populations, and species vary in their sensitivity to stressors. Dr. Whitehead presents as an example dioxin tolerance variations among a variety of fish species.  A key question in his research is “What are the genomic variants that enable resistance and resilience?” In searching for the answer to this question, he explores the consequences of chemical exposure and shrinking habitat on resident species. 

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Recorded: September 20, 2013