Robison Lab: Research

Zebrafish: Quantitative Genetics and Genomics

Our work on zebra fish is currently focused on the genetic basis of phenotypic variation among wild and domesticated strains. The traits currently under investigation include (among others) surface orientation, startle response, feeding behavior, growth rate, sperm production, fin morphology, and pigmentation. Several of these traits have been associated with domestication in other fish species.

Zebrafish Strains

We currently have 4 strains of zebrafish that have been recently derived from wild populations.  The Nadias are our oldest "wild" strain, standing at 7 to 8 generations since capture.  We also have the Gaighatta strain, which is in its 1st generation of captive rearing.  The North and South Pargana strains were recently collected in the spring of 2006, and we are only now attempting to breed them.  All of these populations were collected by Deepak Nopany in the region surrounding Calcutta, India.

We are collaborating with the laboratory of Dr. Emilia Martins at Indiana University in order to understand the genetics that underly the behavioral variation among populations.

Conservation Genetics and Zebrafish?

Our work on zebrafish is complementary to our work on salmonids. The process of domestication in salmonids is of fundamental importance to  conservation efforts because salmonid population declines are often mitigated through the use of hatchery programs. It is difficult to study the genetic effects of domestication in salmonids because of their large space requirements and long generation times.

However, if we can identify in the zebrafish candidate genetic pathways that undergo changes during the domestication process, we can then test whether those pathways are important in salmon domestication. Studies on domestication in the zebrafish are facilitated by their tractability in the lab (fast generation time, low space requirements) and the large genomic tool box available, including the complete genomic sequence.

Rainbow Trout: Aquaculture, Conservation Genetics, and Genomics

Our work on rainbow trout has focused on the genetics of locally adaptive phenotypes. Through a collaboration with the Thorgaard Lab at Washington State University, we have used clonal lines to investigate the genetic basis of variation in embryonic development rate.  We are also using chromosome set manipulations to generate clonal lines of rainbow trout from strains that have been selected for accelerated growth rate.  These strains are being developed to support work investigating the genetic basis of traits relevant to the aquaculture industry.

Physiological Genomics: NSF EPSCoR - Idaho

 Our lab is part of a multi-investigator collaborative project funded by the NSF-EPSCoR program in Idaho.  The Fish Physiology and Genomics team is focused on identifying the fundamental mechanisms of energy partitioning and regulation using a comparative approach between two model systems:  the rainbow trout and the zebrafish.