People | Adam G. Marsh

• B.A., English Literature, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 1981.
• B.A., Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 1981.
• M.S., Invertebrate Zoology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 1984.
• Ph.D., Marine Ecology and Enviornmental Studies, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 1989.

Molecular and biochemical mechanisms that determine growth and metabolism during early development in larvae from extreme environments: 1) gene expression, RNA processing and turnover; 2) protein metabolism and turnover; 3) cellular physiology and energetics; 4) epigenetics and environmental imprinting.

Gene Expression Patterns and Cold Adaptation in Antarctic Marine Invertebrates
More information here: /neatstuff/McMurdo/index.html

Polar invertebrates exhibit extended periods of embryonic and larval development when compared to temperate species. My lab is focusing on the role of DNA methylation and environmental imprinting as a global mechanism to account for shifts in gene expression patterns in response to low temperatures.

Environmental Bioinformatics

There is a wealth of genome sequence data available for environmental microbes. My lab is active;y developing statistical tools and software to triage through massive sequence databases looking for the "fingerprint" of natural selection on these genomes. The goal is to identify some of the architectural rules by which natural selection shapes genes/proteins in response to extreme environmental conditions. This information has a huge potential for commercial utilization in the field of synthetic biology.

Regulation of larval developmental modes

A few invertebrate species are able to produce two distinct larval forms (poicilogeny). Such developmental switching provides a unique comparative opportunity to describe the molecular and biochemical events associated with the embryology of a specific larval form. I am assessing the diversity and complexity of developmental switching in the polychaetes Streblospio benedicti and Capitella teleta to determine their molecular basis and ecological/evolutionary impacts.

Stephanie Guida, Ph.D. Student, Marine Biosciences. Research Interests: Epigenetics of phenotypic plasticity in response to temperature in temperate and polar invertebrates.

MAST 634: Marine Molecular Science: (3 CR). Description: A broad examination of essential molecular and biochemical processes that are relevant for understanding how life persists in diverse environments. An emphasis is placed on understanding molecular-level structure and function in an adaptive context. This is a core course requirement in the Marine Bioscience program. Course WebSite

MAST 497/697: Bioinformatics Programming for Biologists (2 CR). Description: This course teaches basic PERL programming for biologists interested in doing bioinformatics research but who have no prior experience in computer programming. The goal is to familiarize students with PERL syntax sufficiently so that they will be able to edit and trouble-shoot existing PERL programs and modules to suite their own research needs without having to write their own de novo programs and scripts. Students are given class accounts on the Biowolf parallel computing cluster at DBI. Students are also expected to become proficient at working with computers from a command-line, unix-based, terminal interface. Course WebSite

MAST 498/698: Environmental and Systems Bioinformatics (3 CR). Description: This course teaches students how to use bioinformatic methods in order to link genomic/proteomic sequence features to specific mechanisms of environmental adaptations or metabolic systems organization. It is designed for graduate students and advanced undergraduates wanting to apply basic informatic approaches and computational tools to specific research topics that interest them. Students are expected to have some experience with programming (i.e., MAST697). Computational tools presented to students include: PERL, PYTHON, R, and MatLab. It is expected that students will conduct an individual research project as a component of this course. Course WebSite

2009 Ulrich, P.N. and A.G. Marsh. Thermal Sensitivity of Mitochondrial Respiration Efficiency and Protein Phosphorylation in the Clam Mercenaria mercenaria. Marine Biotechnology, 11, 608-618.

2009 Dominique A. Cowart, Paul N. Ulrich, Douglas C. Miller, A. G. Marsh. Salinity Sensitivity of Early Embryos of the Antarctic Sea Urchin, Sterechinus neumayeri. Polar Biology, 32, 435-441.

2009 Marsh, A.G. Environmental and Molecular Mechanisms of Cold Adaptation in Polar Marine Invertebrates. In: Krupnik, Igor, Lang, Michael A. and Miller, Scott E., eds. Smithsonian at the Poles: Contributions to International Polar Year Science pp. 253-264.

2008 Ulrich, P.N. and A.G. Marsh. Proteome assay of temperature stress and protein stability in extreme environments: Groundwork with the heat stress response of the bivalve Mercenaria mercenaria. Journal of Shellfish Research 27, 243-246.

2008 Hoover, C.A., M. Slattery N.M. Targett and A.G. Marsh. Secondary metabolite production and gene expression patterns in response to artificial predation in a benthic soft coral, Sinularia polydactyla. Biological Bulletin 214, 319 ?328.

2007 Ulrich, P.N. Ewart, J.W. and A.G. Marsh. Incidence of Perkinsus marinus, Haplosporidium nelsoni (MSX), and QPX in bivalves of Delaware?s Inland Bays and quantitative, high throughput diagnosis of Dermo infections by QPCR. Journal Eukaryotic Microbiology. 54, 520?526

2007 Hoover, C.A., M. Slattery and A.G. Marsh. Comparing gene expression profiles of benthic soft coral species, Sinularia polydactyla, S. maxima, and their putative hybrid at different life history stages. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology (Part D, Genomics & Proteomics) 2, 135-143.

2007 Ulrich, P.N., C.M. Colton, C.A. Hoover, P.M. Gaffney and A.G. Marsh. Identification of the oyster pathogen Haplosporidium nelsoni (MSX) throughout the Gulf of Mexico. Journal of Shellfish Research, 26, 195-199.

2007 Hoover, C.A., M. Slattery and A.G. Marsh. A Functional Approach to Transcriptome Profiling: Linking Gene Expression Patterns to Metabolites that Matter. Marine Biotechnology 9, 411-419.

2007 Kendall, L.R., A.G. Marsh, P.N. Ulrich and J. Ewart. Low incidence of the pathogen Perkinsus marinus in bivalves from Delaware?s Inland Bays. Estuaries and Coasts, 30, 154-162.