The goal of my research is to investigate the biochemical response of organisms to their environment. I am interested in how corals use these pathways to interpret changes to their environment such as extreme temperature or low dissolved oxygen, then mobilize energy reserves to meet metabolic demands. After experiencing these stressors, I want to better understand how metabolic needs change in order to repair damaged structures and rebuild energy reserves. Additionally, I am interested in the role that heterotrophy plays in powering coral metabolism especially when autotrophy may not be possible due to coral bleaching. To capture the chemically diverse metabolites involved in these processes, I plan on utilizing combinations of extraction and sequencing techniques such as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Outside of school, when there are waves, I spend as much time as I can surfing. When it’s warm and there are no waves, I enjoy spearfishing, clamming, and cooking up my catch.

Education:

B.A. Integrative Biology, University of California - Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 2021

Ph.D. Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI Projected 2026

Contact Information:

Email: laurenzane@uri.edu