Anejelique Martinez

MS
Biology

I am interested in the function of the gut microbiome in wild mammals, specifically how it intersects with conservation, microbiology, and ecology. My graduate research aims at understanding the interactions between the microbes within the digestive tract and their hosts within a community of small mammals that inhabit a stochastic ecosystem in central Chile at Frey Jorge National Park.  My project combines amino acid isotope analysis with 16s/18s rRNA gene sequencing to understand the functional role of the gut microbiome in host protein metabolism. Integrating these powerful techniques will enhance our understanding of how intrinsic energy influences consumer resource selection.