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Morgane Touzot

My research is at the interface between ecophysiology and conservation biology. I am fascinated by how organisms cope with environmental stresses, and the molecular, physiological and behavioural mechanisms that underlie these responses and adaptations.

During my PhD work and my first postdoc as a researcher and teaching assistant, I was particularly interested in the influence of artificial light at night on the ecophysiological mechanisms regulating the life history traits of anuran species. By developing an experimental and integrative approach, I demonstrated, in adults and tadpoles, the effects of artificial light at night ranging from changes in gene expression to disruption of animal behavior (use of two complementary molecular approaches: RNA-seq and RT-qPCR, hormonal assays, morphometric measurements, energy balance, behavioral analysis and fitness measurements). To search for a common pattern of biological consequences of this pollution, I conducted studies in several anuran species: the common toad, Bufo bufo, the cane toad, Rhinella marina, and the agile frog, Rana dalmatina. I am currently pursuing this work, mainly looking at the consequences of artificial light at night in tadpoles by combining an evaluation of the expression of specific genes, a measurement of the activity of specific enzymes and recording of individual’s physical activity.

Currently, during my second postdoc, I am interested in the ecophysiological and molecular mechanisms allowing thermal adaptation and responses in soil invertebrates. More specifically, I am investigating the ecophysiological and genomic signature of evolutionary adaptation to extreme temperature conditions within a freeze-tolerant ectothermic animal, a small earthworm, Enchytraeus albidus, which is an ecologically important secondary decomposer widely distributed along an extended climatic gradient (Arctic, subarctic and temperate regions of North America and Europe).

Contact info

C.F. Møllers Allé 4
Building 1120 Room 320
8000 Aarhus C

Mail: morgane.touzot@ecos.au.dk

Research gate link

LinkedIn link