Physiological Integration in Organismal Biology

Hannah V. Carey, Ph.D.

Department of Comparative Biosciences

University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine

Past-President, American Physiological Society

Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology2010 Annual Meeting, January, 2009

Grand Challenges in Biology

Molecules

DNAProtein Lipids

Cells

The Physiology BottleneckThe Physiology Bottleneck

Populations

Communities

Ecosystems

Tissues

Organs

Animals

Data collection/synthesis

Facilities

Training Opportunities

from Terrie Williams

Physiological Research, Integration, Synthesis and Modeling

(PRISM)(PRISM)

March, 2007

Supported by NSF and APS

National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis

Santa Barbara, CA

Promote integration of physiology into research and management decisions that address organismal responses to environmental change and the maintenance of biodiversity.

Support educational efforts that ensure the transfer of physiological knowledge, including field and in vivo techniques, to future generations of basic and applied scientists.

PRISMPRISM

National Network for Physiological Research, Integration, Synthesis and Modeling

Basic Academic Departments

Genomics Research Centers

Biomedicine CentersHuman & Veterinary

PRISMPRISM

Research Training Policy Public Awareness

Conservation Centers/Zoos/Field Stations

Terrie Williams, UC-Santa Cruz, Hannah Carey, UW-MadisonPRISM Working Group

Increase awareness within the scientific community and the general public of the role of physiology in organismal adaptation to environment, to conservation biology and ecosystem management, and the connection to human health

Support educational efforts in whole animal physiology, field physiology and integration of physiology from gene to environment

Development of web tools: Physiological Research, Integration, Synthesis and Modeling

APS Contributions to Grand Challenges

Enhance awareness of the role of physiology in conservation biology and ecosystem management, and the connection to human health

Conferences

Publications

CommunicationsPress Releases, Life Lines Podcasts, ScienceBlogs

November/December 2008

Predicting Extinction: Investigating the Interface of Physiology, Ecology, and Climate Change

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

Support educational efforts in whole animal (in vivo) physiology, field physiology and integration of physiology from gene to environment:

Training programs in ecological and conservation physiology, focusing on techniques in whole organism and field physiology

Field stations that support research and training in field and organismal physiology

Research laboratories that provide training opportunities in field-based physiology, ecological, and conservation physiology

Knowledge transfer: programs to harness knowledge of “experienced” physiologists to transfer concepts and techniques in field physiology to next generation of scientists

Support development of web-based tools for PRISM

• Information exchange

• Physiology databases

• Publications, reports, white papers, funding opportunities

• Link with other societies including the international physiology community

• Network of research centers dedicated to addressing conservation and global environmental issues focusing on physiological integration.

Macrophysiology for a changing worldSteven L. Chown, Kevin J. GastonProceedings of the Royal Society B (2008) 275, 1469–1478

Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University, Republic of South AfricaBiodiversity and Macroecology Group, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield 

AnimalHuman

Physiology

Ecosystem

An Integrated View of Global Health

May, 2008

Oxford University Press

Center for Health and the Global Environment

U.N. Environment Programme U.N. Development Programme Secretariat of the Convention on

Biological DiversityWorld Conservation Union

Harvard Medical School

Medicines from natural sources

Ecosystem services

Biodiversity and world food production

Biodiversity and Human Health

Chivian and Bernstein 2008

Biodiversity and infectious diseases

Biodiversity and biomedical research

Role of environment in balancing host susceptibility and pathogen infectivity

Adapted from Sherman, 2002

Host Pathogen

Prevailing Environmental

Conditions

Physiological resilience Physiological tolerances

The Conservation Physiology ToolboxThe Conservation Physiology Toolbox

• Endocrine physiology

• Nutrition and digestive physiology

• Metabolism/Energetics

• Water Balance

• Thermoregulation

• Immunophysiology

Approaches

• Plasma and fecal steroid monitoring

• Biotelemetry

• Stable isotope techniques

• Immune status testing

• Thermoregulation

Techniques

Cell physiology: Osmoregulation, ion channel function, membrane transport

Upcoming: Physiological genomics, proteomics, metabolomics