Research on Crustaceans

I’ve studied the physiological control of molting in crabs and lobsters using endocrinology and genetic methods.  I’ve also developed a few projects relating to the parthenogenetic crayfish Marmorkrebs (no males required!).  I even recently had a project on these amazing Crayfish funded through the #SciFund Challenge.  I have been collaborating with Donald Mykles and graduate student Natalie Pitts at Colorado State University on that project.

Although my yeast projects have been my main focus recently, I’ve developed exciting student projects in the genomics arena using the parthenogenetic crayfish Marmorkrebs and its non-parthenogenetic counterpart, Procambarus fallax that I’d like to continue.  I am also interested in looking at the molecular genetics of molting, limb-regeneration, and other aspects of physiology in other species such as marine crustaceans of the Atlantic and other (native) crayfish.

For an example of recent crustacean work I’ve done, see:

Summary:  Rheb regulates crab muscle atrophy

Research Article:

MacLea, K.S., Abuhagr, A.M., Pitts, N.L., Covi, J.A., Bader, B.D., Chang, E.S., and Mykles, D.L. Rheb, an activator of the mTOR complex, in the blackback land crab, Gecarcinus lateralis: cloning and effects of molting on expression in skeletal muscle. J Exp Biol, 215(4):590-604, doi:10.1242/jeb.062869, 2012.


© Kyle S. MacLea 2015