SUPR
Differential gene expression analysis between three urban pollutants in the avian liver
Dnr:

NAISS 2024/23-424

Type:

NAISS Small Storage

Principal Investigator:

Susana Garcia Dominguez

Affiliation:

Lunds universitet

Start Date:

2024-07-10

End Date:

2024-11-01

Primary Classification:

10203: Bioinformatics (Computational Biology) (applications to be 10610)

Webpage:

Allocation

Abstract

As urbanization increases worldwide, so does the exposure of urban wildlife to different stressors, such as air pollutants, artificial light at night and traffic noise. The present experimental study explores how a short-term (5 days) exposure to these three urban-related pollutants (soot as an air pollutant, artificial light at night (ALAN) and traffic noise) affects differential gene expression in livers from 22 female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) raised in captivity. Particularly, this small project is part of a research summer internship aimed at performing transcriptomic analyses as practice for a larger bioinformatics doctoral project to be carried out later in the year (for which we will submit a separate application). By better understanding how these common urban stressors affect birds from a mechanistic perspective, we will be better equipped to monitor potential risks to their health in the urban environment.