1) Development of a single dose injectable sterilant - This project designed to develop a single dose injectable sterilant, funded by a Michelson Grant in Reproductive Biology, is employing GnRH-toxin conjugates to ablate gonadotropes which produce hormones that stimulate both egg and sperm maturation. By preventing both egg and sperm maturation we will effectively sterilize the animals.
2) Measurement of metabolic rate of embryonic fish to predict future growth rate – In fish metabolic rate is tightly coupled to essential functions for growth (e.g. protein and DNA synthesis). This project will employ an assay that measures metabolic rate of fish, previously designed by Dr. Renquist, to sort aquaculturally important species (tilapia and trout) by metabolic rate and monitor subsequent growth rate.
3) The physiological control of feed intake during stress – Stress can either induce or suppress feed intake. Heat stress suppresses food intake, while nutritional restriction increases subsequent food intake. The Renquist lab will focus research on the metabolic changes that occur during both of these stressors to better understand how stress mediates changes in food consumption.
