David Scholnick

Biography

Education:  Postdoctoral research, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo. PhD in Animal Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo. Master of Arts in Biology, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va. Bachelor of Arts in Biology, University of San Diego, San Diego, Cali.

Research Interest

Areas of Research & Specialization:College of Charleston’s Lou Burnett and I spoke to Today Show hosts Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira and Al Roker about our research entitled "Shrimp on Treadmill"..The research started as a simple investigation on the impact of bacteria on shrimp and soon turned into an Internet sensation. Worldwide animals are at an increased risk of opportunistic pathogens. Elevations in temperature and increased areas of low oxygen suggest that pathogen exposure of lower vertebrates and marine invertebrates are escalating. The central hypothesis underlying my research is that infectious disease can compromise the respiratory systems of lower vertebrates and invertebrates and thereby limit the ability of animals to sustain and recover from normal activities. Working with colleagues at College of Charleston's Grice Marine Laboratory and Hollings Marine Laboratory in Charleston, South Carolina, we have demonstrated that in resting animals bacterial infection can compromise normal metabolic function. Following infection, aerobic respiration rates are down regulated and lactate levels increase in resting animals.