Category Archives: Uncategorized

Eukaryotic cells use G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to convert external stimuli into internal signals to elicit cellular responses. GPCRs are critical to many biological processes; however, the effect of mutations in GPCR-coding genes on GPCR activation and downstream signaling pathways … Continue reading →

Hypoxia, or a lack of oxygen in the tissues, is a significant source of metabolic stress. It is a major component of many human diseases, including various forms of cancer. Remarkably, there are animals that display an impressive capacity to … Continue reading →

Beloniformes, the order including needlefishes, flying fishes, halfbeaks, and allies, comprise over 200 species occupying a wide array of habitats—from the marine epipelagic zone to tropical rainforest rivers. These fish also exhibit a variety of diets, including piscivory, herbivory, and … Continue reading →

Intraspecific functional variation, the functional variation of a trait within a species, is critical for adaptation to rapidly changing environments. Ciscoes and Deepwater Sculpin are two lineages of North American deep-dwelling fish that recently, less than 15,000 years ago, began … Continue reading →

Awesome news article from the CSB department at UofT highlighting a recent PNAS paper from the Chang lab, featuring the work of former PhD student Sarah Dungan! Many cetacean species can dive to extraordinary depths on a single breath, but … Continue reading →

Great article from UTSC covering the incredible work Alex Van Nynatten, a postdoc in the Lovejoy lab, has been doing with the Deepwater Sculpin in collaboration with the Chang lab! This fish is quite impressive as they are known to … Continue reading →

The ability to generate and detect electric fields is vital for the survival of several groups of fishes. Authors Ahmed A. Elbassiouny, Nathan R. Lovejoy and Belinda S.W. Chang speculated that electric fish may be able to meet the high … Continue reading →

Pathogenic mutations cause rhodopsin to misfold and disrupt its function. In this study, a yeast-based assay was used to screen for compounds that have the potential to rescue the function of mutant rhodopsin. It was confirmed that 9-cis retinal could … Continue reading →

A recent study by Ryan K. Schott, Nihar Bhattacharyya, and Belinda S.W. Chang analysed the patterns of evolution in the gecko phototransduction gene and compared them to those of other reptiles. Parallel shifts in selective constraint on phototransduction genes were … Continue reading →

What do visual disease in humans and dim-light adaptation in fishes have in common? Read our publication on Proceedings of the Royal Society B, and find out more!