Hey @AcademicChatter and #AcademicTwitter, I’m super excited that my otolith calcification paper is finally published! This paper describes the inner ear cells responsible for otolith CaCO3 calcification! More pictures, details, and link to article below!

The inner ear is responsible for balance and hearing - both super important for survival. In bony fishes, this process requires calcium carbonate “rocks” called otoliths. They grow in concentric rings like trees, and are IMMENSELY VALUABLE to measure age, diet, and other data!

By immunolabeling specific proteins, I can determine whether the proteins overlap within the same cell (yellow) or in different cells (red and green)! Here, you can see how a protein (NKCC) highly overlaps with one (NKA) but not the other (CA).

Using this technique and our understanding of said protein’s functions, we can start piecing together how the tissue normally transport ions from the blood and calcify the otolith - and why #OceanAcidification may induce faster growth!

I’m especially proud of this paper because the concept stemmed from me (as opposed to my PhD advisor), and shows I (somehow) learned something during my PhD! Feel free to ask if you have more questions! You can download this paper here: https://scripps.ucsd.edu/labs/mtresguerres/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2020/05/Kwan-et-al.-2020.pdf

@audreytrp here’s a bit more explanation in this thread!