Physiology Commons^™

Development Of A High Throughput, Whole Organism Assay For Studying Metabolic Capacity In Crassostrea Virginica, Avuntaura Gulledge

Honors College

Genetic improvement of commercial lines has been a key component in the increased production of eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica). One form of genetic improvement, induced triploidy, is commonly used to produce sterile oysters with faster growth and higher meat quality. However, the details of the physiological advantage provided by triploidy are poorly understood. Whole animal respiration is an important indicator of an individual’s capacity to meet increased energetic demands for growth and stress response. I have developed an assay for the Agilent’s XFe96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer to measure metabolic capacity (i.e., rates of basal, maximal, mitochondrial, and non-mitochondrial oxygen consumption) …