Mechanisms, functions, and evolution of animal coloration and vision Michigan State University - Department of Integrative Biology
Our aim in the Toomey Lab is to understand the mechanisms, functions, and evolution of animal coloration and vision. We focus on the physiology and biochemistry of carotenoid and retinoid pigments. We use comparative genomics, transcriptomics, molecular cloning, and heterologous expression systems to discover the mechanisms of pigment metabolism and transport. We investigate the biology of these mechanisms across levels of organization - from organelles to ecology - to gain insights into the evolution of elaborate traits and functional adaptations.
Discovering the transporters, enzymes, and factors that mediate carotenoid color expression in birds and fish through comparative genomics and functional biochemistry.
Uncovering the enzymatic mechanisms by which carotenoid-pigmented oil droplets fine-tune the spectral sensitivity of cone photoreceptors in birds.
Investigating adaptive plasticity in visual sensitivity, including the CYP27C1 enzyme that shifts chromophore composition in aquatic vertebrates.