16-12-2025
The MSc Thesis of Andrea Duque, entitled “Computational tools to assess adaptation and resilience to thermal stress in intertidal fish: a functional genomics approach” was developed within the SeaTox Lab at the Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology.
This study explored the molecular responses of Pomatoschistus microps populations to seasonal changes along a latitudinal cline in the Portuguese coast, using RNA-seq and functional genomics. Comparative computational analyses of transcriptome profiles and gene networks showed evidence that fish populations display distinct coping strategies to seasonal warming: Troia population (warm-adapted) exhibited stress-preparatory gene frontloading, Ria Formosa population (hot-adapted) maintained basal stability via ribosomal and mitochondrial pathways, and Ria de Aveiro population (cold-adapted) showed seasonal metabolic priming. The results reveal how local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity shape marine ectotherms' physiological strategies, highlighting the interplay between local environmental regimes and stress response mechanisms in marine ectotherms.
Congratulations, Andrea!
