Effect of Food Intake on Regeneration Rate

Presenter: Olivia Maciver

Group Members: Garret Chiu, Jin B. Greene, Tasnim Amer Berghol, Ana Ruiz, Ari Quaglia, Biane Silva Viana

Faculty Sponsor: Akiko Okusu

School: UMass Amherst

Research Area: Biology

Session: Poster Session 5, 3:15 PM - 4:00 PM, 163, C3

ABSTRACT

Regeneration requires energy and cellular resources, suggesting that nutritional status may influence regeneration speed. These factors may become limitations in nature and can modify the successful regeneration of a population. This study investigates how food intake affects the rate of tentacle regeneration in Nematostella vectensis. Animals were divided into fed and unfed groups prior to and during regeneration following tentacle amputation. Regeneration progress was monitored by measuring tentacle regrowth over a set period of time. Understanding how nutrition affects regeneration can provide insight into how organisms balance energy use between maintenance, growth, and repair. We expect that unfed Nematostella would experience slower growth rates compared to fed Nematostella.

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