My research addresses the biochemistry, biophysics, and physiology of muscle. We are particularly interested in the response of muscle to disease and environmen t. Our work is carried out at several levels of biological organization, from biochemical analysis of muscle proteins to studies of whole-animal locomotory perf ormance. An important tool is nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and imaging, which is used for the study of metabolism and intracellular diffusion of small molecules. Our labo ratory is affiliated with the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL), which is the center of research in the U.S. for the development and application o f instrumentation using high magnetic fields. The Center for Interdisciplinary Magnetic Resonance (CIMAR) at the NHMFL provides for large-scale intergration of the technical and conceptual aspects of NMR, EMR, MRI, and ICR spectroscopies.

Current research projects in our lab include adaptations to temperature in the muscle of poikilothermic vertebrates and the responses of muscle to diabetes. We focus on muscle as an integrated system of energy demand and supply, and we are concerned with two questions. First, what is the functional significance of adap tation and transformation in muscle? In some cases, such as endurance training, it is apparent that changes in muscle are beneficial and lead to better performa nce. However, changes similar to those seen in trained muscle are found in the muscle of diabetic animals. Is this an adaptive response to disease? Second, what mechanisms regulate changes in the structure of muscle? Little is known about how changes in the functional demands of muscle, such as those occurring in endur ance training, are linked to the changes in gene expression that comprise what we term adaptation. Does the similarity of the response of muscle to diabetes and endurance training reflect a common underlying mechanism of regulation?