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R.
Michael L. McKay Ryan Professor of
Biology Department
of Biological Sciences 426
Life Sciences Building Bowling
Green State University Bowling
Green, OH 43403 Tel:
419-372-6873 Fax:
419-372-2024 e.mail:
rmmckay@bgsu.edu |
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At present, there are two major areas of emphasis in my lab. In partnership with my colleague George Bullerjahn, we have been active in the development and characterization of single-cell luminescent cyanobacterial bioreporters for use in better understanding nutrient dynamics in both freshwater and marine systems. Development of a suite of Fe-responsive bioreporters has provided insight into Fe bioavailability in the Laurentian Great Lakes (Porta et al. 2003; Porta et al 2005; McKay et al. 2005), the Baltic Sea (Boyanapalli et al. 2005) and in oceanic HNLC and LNLC regions (Boyanapalli et al. 2005). Development of a N-responsive reporter has offered unique perspectives on the century-long accumulation of nitrate in Lake Superior (Ivanikova et al. 2007; Sterner et al. 2007). Current NSF-funding supports our development and characterization of a suite of P-responsive bioreporters which we plan to use to better understand P dynamics in the Baltic Sea and the Sargasso Sea. This is the work of graduate student Mark Rozmarynowycz and Bullerjahn lab students Olga Kutovaya and Irina Ilikchyan. A second focus in my lab is on better understanding primary production in ice-covered Lake Erie. Although the southernmost of the Laurentian Great Lakes, due to its shallow depth, annual ice coverage of the lake reaches 80-90%. Yet little is known regarding winter processes in the lake. In February 2007, along with BGSU colleague George Bullerjahn, we joined colleagues Steve Wilhelm from the University of Tennessee and Michael Twiss from Clarkson University on board a Canadian Coast guard ice breaker (CCGS Griffon) and traversed the length of Lake Erie. During this exploratory mission, we documented abundant pulses of physiologically robust diatom algae (Aulacoseira islandica) throughout the lake. A subsequent cruise in February 2008 was aimed at further characterizing the winter phytoplankton stocks and probing possible connections between winter production and summer hypoxia in Erie's central basin. Graduate student Nigel D'Souza joined the February 2008 research cruise and is developing portions of this project as part of his dissertation. |
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Relevant Publications (complete list is available from the cv link below) |
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Bioreporter Articles |
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Fe Bioreporters |
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Boyanapalli et al. 2007. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 1019-1024 |
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N Bioreporter |
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Additional Links |
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Journals and Societies |
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Chloe's Page (that's my daughter) |