Welcome

For questions, comments or suggestions about this web site, please contact Gwen Dressing

Welcome to the Thomas Research Group

This page is an introduction to current projects, research facilities, and research activities of the scientists and students in the Thomas Research Group. The additional pages in this web provide detailed information on specific research projects, personnel, and information for prospective graduate students.

Professor Peter Thomas directs research in the areas of reproductive endocrinology and environmental toxicology at the University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute (UTMSI).

Location

UTMSI is located in Port Aransas on the southern Texas Gulf coast and is ideally situated near multiple bay and estuary systems and the Corpus Christi shipping channel.

Research

Current interests include mechanisms of endocrine toxicity, the neuroendocrine control of gonadotropin secretion, the biosynthesis and molecular actions of steroid hormones, the physiological regulation and molecular structure of both nuclear and membrane steroid hormone receptors, the endocrine control of final oocyte maturation and sperm motility, and environmental toxicology. For more specific information, please visit our research page.

Above: Dr. Thomas compares histology slides of tissue samples from in vivo toxicology experiment.

Laboratory Facilities

Facilities are available in several laboratories to conduct research using the techniques of molecular biology, histology and immunocytochemistry, electrophoresis, radioimmunoassay and radio-receptor assays, primary and continuous cell culture, gas chromatography, HPLC, and general biochemistry.


Above: Abby Benninghoff conducts radioimmunoassay to measure steroid levels in samples from in vitro tissue bioassay.	Above: Jing Dong runs a Western Blot to examine protein expression.

Fish Collection and Wet Lab Facilities

Research is conducted primarily on two marine perciform models of teleost reproduction, spotted seatrout and Atlantic croaker. Seatrout are obtained from April to September in local bays and estuaries by gill net. Croaker are collected during the fall from local bait shops (yearling) and by gill-net (2-4 yrs-old). Our wet-lab facilities house fifteen large (4000-16,000 L) recirculating tanks as well as several labs designed for in vivo physiology and toxicology experiments with small 1600 L tanks.

		Left: Pete obtaining blood sample from trout caught in field. Right: Susan Lawson collects yearling Atlantic croaker from local bait shop.

Above: Tox wet-lab with multiple 1200 L tanks for in vivo toxicology or physiology experiments.	Above: A room in the main wet-lab with large, 4000 L tanks for holding croaker and trout stocks.

Above: Atlantic croaker (1 yr old) Right: Chris Tubbs and Hakan Berg use a gill net at the FAML pier to catch flounder during the seasonal migration to spawn.