Theresa J. Grove
Department Head of Biology
- Ph.D., Marine Biology
University of Maine, Orono, ME - M.S., Zoology
University of Maine, Orono, ME - B.A. Biology & Anthropology
Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Teaching Interests
* Introductory Biology Courses* Animal Physiology
* Protein Biochemistry
Research Interests
As a comparative physiologist by training, my primary research interests focus on understanding adaptations of organisms to their surrounding environments. The overarching theme that ties all my projects together is identifying and understanding the mechanisms that enable normal physiological function in variable or extreme environments. By using an integrative approach, information obtained at the cellular, protein, and genomic levels enables me to identify how environmental characteristics (e.g., temperature) may direct or influence adaptation of poikilothermic organisms to different thermal regimes. I am most interested in identifying adaptive changes in cardiac and skeletal muscles that modulate muscle contraction and relaxation cycles and fine-tune an organism’s physiology, thus enabling them to be successful in an environment that may be inhospitable to other organisms. The two systems I study are the cold stenothermal notothenioids found in the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica, and temperate killifish (Fundulus sp.) that live in diverse habitats along the eastern coasts of North America.
Selected Publications
(**graduate student, *undergraduate student)1. Grove, T.J., S.P. Wilfred, J. Landau. (2022) “Supporting Faculty Leaders in Core Course Redesign: Overcoming Challenges and Increasing Buy-In through Faculty Development Retreats at Valdosta State University” in Gateways to Completion Case Study Anthology II. ed. S.M. Foote and D. Coleman, Jr. pp. 58-63. https://www.jngi.org/g2c-case-study-anthology
2. Wilfred, S., T. Grove. (2021) “Cultural Transformation: The Unforeseen Journey from Then to Now” in Gateways to Completion Case Study Anthology I. ed. S.M. Foote. pp. 71-74. https://www.jngi.org/g2c-case-study-anthology
3. O’Brien, K.M., **A.S. Rix, T.J. Grove, J. Sarrimanolis, A. Brooking, M. Roberts, EL Crockett. (2020) Characterization of the hypoxia-inducible factor-I pathway in hearts of Antarctic notothenioid fishes. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part. B: 110505.
4. **Rix, A.S., T.J. Grove, K.M. O’Brien. (2017) Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α in Antarctic notothenioids contains a polyglutamine and glutamic acid insert that varies in length with phylogeny. Polar Biology.
5. **Keenan, K.A., T.J. Grove, C.A. Oldham, K.M. O’Brien. (2017) Characterization of mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase in notothenioid fishes. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B. 204: 9-26.
6. Lewis, J.M., T.J. Grove, K.M. O’Brien. (2015) Energetic costs of protein synthesis do not differ between red- and white-blooded notothenioids. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A. 187: 177-183.
**Whittington, A.C., **T.E. Nienow, **C.L. Whittington, T.J. Fort, T.J. Grove. (2012) Functional and structural characterization of a eurytolerant calsequestrin from the intertidal teleost Fundulus heteroclitus, PLoS ONE. 7(11): e50801. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0050801
7. **Shiver, N.B., T.J. Grove. (2011) Hematocrit and hemoglobin determination in the mangrove killifish, Kryptolebias marmoratus. Georgia Journal of Science. 69: 123-130.
8. Grove, T.J., *K.A. Puckett, **N.M. Brunet, **G. Mihajlovic, L.A. McFadden, P. Xiong, S. von Molnar, T.S. Moerland, P.B. Chase. (2005) Packaging actomyosin-based biomolecular motor-driven devices for nano-actuator applications. IEEE Transactions on Advanced Packaging. 28: 556-563.
9. Grove, T.J., L.A. McFadden, P.B. Chase, T.S. Moerland. (2005) Effects of temperature, ionic strength and pH on the function of myosin from a eurythermal fish, Fundulus heteroclitus. Journal of Muscle Research and Cell Motility. 26: 191-197.
10. Grove, T.J., B.D. Sidell. (2004) Fatty acyl CoA synthetase from Antarctic notothenioid fishes may influence substrate specificity of fat oxidation. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B. 139: 53-63.
11. Grove, T.J., **J.W. Hendrickson, B.D. Sidell. (2004) Two species of Antarctic icefishes (genus Champsocephalus) share a common genetic lesion leading to the loss of myoglobin expression. Polar Biology. 27: 579-585.
12. Grove, T.J., B.D. Sidell. (2002) Myoglobin deficiency in the hearts of phylogenetically diverse temperate-zone fish species. Canadian Journal of Zoology. 80: 893-901