Research summary
It’s clear that the climate crisis and environmental degradation are affecting biodiversity around the world. But exactly how are species reacting or adapting to these changes? As Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Mitochondrial Biology, Dr. Sophie Breton is trying to find out by using an innovative approach that integrates cutting-edge technologies in ’omics, physiology, cell biology and biochemistry.
She and her research team want to better understand the role that mitochondria (the energy powerhouses of cells) and their genomes play in helping species adapt to short- and long-term environmental changes. By unravelling the links between the environment and mitochondrial genetic information, epigenetics and traits, Breton’s research will shed new light on our understanding of the living world. Understanding these links could also advance medical research in the field of mitochondrial diseases.