Christopher Womersley

PhD University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 1979

Professor, Department of Zoology

Department of Zoology, University of Hawai`i
2538 McCarthy Mall, Edmondson 152
Honolulu, HI 96822
fax: (808) 956-9812
womersle@hawaii.edu

Physiological ecology/adaptive biochemistry; dehydration and freezing stress; biological control

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My research focus is the study of the physiological/biochemical adaptations in response to extreme environmental stress. While various types of environmental stresses are studied, my research utilizes those animals that are able to tolerate dehydration stress as a model system. Essentially all animals are able to tolerate drying to some degree, but relatively few are able to survive extreme dehydration (removal of all body water), while still retaining structural and functional integrity. This is accomplished by entry into a dormant state of "suspended animation", called anhydrobiosis. The problem of anhydrobiotic survival, how this condition is attained and maintained, and how animals adapt to its effects has, until relatively recently been poorly understood, and comparative biochemical/biophysical studies on anhydrobiotic organisms are still in their infancy. My laboratory is one of the very few attempting such studies on multicellular organisms. I feel that, in terms of basic biology, these studies are of paramount importance in unraveling the mystery of anhydrobiotic survival and providing a deeper understanding of how water functions in fully hydrated systems. They may also provide new insights and directions to studies in applied fields.

Presently we are examining the role of carbohydrates in stabilizing a variety of biological systems during periods of low water activity. These include nematodes, tardigrades and rotifers. Such comparative studies have allowed us to question the accepted dogma that trehalose production is the specific metabolic adaptation necessary for stabilization and has led to findings that specific membrane components (i.e., phospholipids) can also be readily adapted to provide more stable membrane structures.

We are also actively researching the aging process itself - how this is controlled or even negated during cryptobiosis.

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Representative publications

Womersley CZ, Higa L. 1996. Factors affecting the accumulation of trehalose during dehydration and its effect on anhydrobiotic survival in the nematode Ditylenchus myceliophagus. J Exp Biol .

Womersley CZ. 1993. Factors affecting physiological fitness and modes of survival employed by dauer larvae and their relationship to pathogenicity. In Bedding RA, Akhurst R, Kaya HK, editors. Nematodes and the biological control of insect pests. CSIRO Press. p 79-88.

Higa LM, Womersley CZ. 1993. New insights into the anhydrobiotic phenomenon: the effects of trehalose content and differential rates of evaporative water loss on the survival of Aphelenchus avenae. J Exp Zool, 267:120-129.

Hill KT, Womersley CZ. 1993. Fluorescent age-pigment accumulation and the use of multiple regression models for age estimation in two fish species. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol


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