Rhythmicity and energetic of subterranean rodents (Ctenomys aff. knighti), in laboratory and field

• Grant number: 12/16362-6
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: January 15, 2013
• End date: March 14, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Compared Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Gisele Akemi Oda
• Grantee: Gisele Akemi Oda
• Visiting researcher: Charles Loren Buck
• Visiting researcher institution: University of Alasca Anchorage, United States
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The aim of teacher Loren Buck´s visit is collaboration in my research line of the Chronobiology of subterranean rodents (Ctenomys aff knighti), known as tuco-tucos. This research line is, in turn, established by my collaboration with dr. Veronica Valentinuzzi of the CRILAR center in La Rioja, Argentina. This center is strategically located in the natural habitat of tuco-tucos, enabling laboratory and field approaches. Prof. Loren Buck has developed research on the Ecophysiology of arctic animals and has a long experience in field work. In the laboratory, he will participate in the settlement and first respirometry measurements that we are planning, aiming at getting quantitative measures of energy requirements of tuco-tucos, under controlled conditions. In the Field, he will supervise and participate in the measurement of physical variables (temperature, O2 and CO2 contents) in the interior of the tunnels that are inhabited by tuco-tucos; evaluate the light sensor devices that we have used aiming at measuring daily light exposure patterns of tucos; by evaluating the environment, habits and size of tucos, he will supervise us into the best methodology for measuring daily energy requirements in the field, throughout the seasons. Finally, we hope that prof. Buck can suggest new field protocols to broaden our future research perspectives. At the Department of Physiology, we will analyze his own data of the activity patterns and daily light exposure of arctic ground squirrels (Urocitellus parryii), already measured during arctic summer and winter seasons, and we are planning to gather them into my mathematical modeling approaches into synchronization mechanisms in the wild, already started with the tuco-tucos. Furthermore, he´ll visit the Comparative Physiology labs in my Department, offer a mini-course for graduate students and a talk for the IBUSP community. Finally, to maximize the impact of his visit to São Paulo, we are planning a visit to Departamento de Morfologia e Fisiologia Animal, in UNESP Jaboticabal and to Departamento de Zoologia da UNESP Rio Claro, which are neighboring departments with Comparative Physiology lines of research that are close to his, in Metabolism and Energetics in wild animals. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

TACHINARDI, PATRICIA; TOIEN, OIVIND; VALENTINUZZI, VERONICA S.; BUCK, C. LOREN; ODA, GISELE A.. Nocturnal to Diurnal Switches with Spontaneous Suppression of Wheel-Running Behavior in a Subterranean Rodent. PLoS One, v. 10, n. 10, OCT 13 2015. (12/23393-5, 12/15767-2, 13/50482-1, 12/16362-6)