William Gilly Websites: Gilly Lab Back to the Sea of Cortez Expedition TOPP Blog
Professor Gilly's current research program on squid concentrates on the behavior and physiology of Dosidicus gigas, the jumbo or Humboldt squid. Fieldwork in the Gulf of California and off Monterey Bay employs a variety of tagging methodologies in order to track short-term vertical migrations as well as long-distance migrations. Laboratory studies at Hopkins Marine Station and onboard research vessel are focused on the physiology of hypoxia tolerance and on control of chromatophores, the color-changing organs in the skin. Research on venomous cone snails (genus Conus) is also currently being carried out. This work is exploring the biological factors that lead to toxin diversity within an individual species and mechanisms by which toxins are produced, selected for use and delivered. Tropical species as well as a temperate, local species (Conus californicus) are studied. Members of Professor Gilly's laboratory have gone on to faculty positions at the University of Washington, University of Utah, University of Pennsylvania, Albert Einstein Medical College and University of Puerto Rico. Selected Publications (2000-2005) Gilly, W.F., Elliger , C.A. , Salinas , C.A. , Camarilla-Coop, S., Bazzino, G. and Beman, M. 2005. Spawning by jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) in the San Pedro Martir basin, Gulf of California , Mexico . Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. Submitted. Stewart, J. and Gilly, W.F. 2005. Piscivorous behavior of a temperate cone snail, Conus californicus. Biol. Bull.209. In Press. Markaida, U., Rosenthal, J.J.C. and Gilly, W.F. 2005. Tagging studies of the Humboldt squid, Dosidicus gigas, in the Gulf of California , Mexcio. Fishery Bulletin. 103:219-226. Gilly, W.F. 2004. Searching for the spirits of the Sea of Cortez. Steinbeck Studies 15: 7-13. Yeomans, D., Levinson, S.R., Peters, M., Tzabazis, A., Gilly, W.F. and Wilson , S. 2005. Decrease in inflammatory hyperalgesia by Herpes vector-mediated knockdown of Na v1.7 sodium channels in primary afferents. Human Gene Therapy. 16: 271-277. Jaubowski, J.A., Kelley, W.P., Sweedler, J.V., Gilly, W.F. and Schulz, J.R. 2005. Intraspecific variation of venom injected by fish-hunting Conus snails. J. Exp. Biol.208: 2873-2883. Sack, J.T., Aldrich, R.W. and Gilly, W.F. 2004. A gastropod toxin selectively slows early transitions in the Shaker K channel’s activation pathway. J. Gen. Physiol. 123:685-696. Schul z JR, Norton AG, and Gilly WF. 2004. The projectile tooth of a fish-hunting cone snail: Conus catus injects venom into fish prey using a high-speed ballistic mechanism. Biol Bull. 207:77-. Rosenthal, J.J.C. and Gilly, W.F. 2003. Identified ion channels in the squid nervous system. Neurosignals: 12: 25-141. Kelley, W.P., Woters, A., Sack, J.T., Jockusch, R.A., Jurchen, J.A., Williams, E.R., Sweedler, J.V. and Gilly, W.F. 2003. Characterization of a novel gastropod toxn (6-bromo-2mercaptotryptamine) that inhibits Shaker K channel activity. J. Biol. Chem. 278: 34934-34942. Marshall, J., Kelley, W.P, Rubakhin, S.S., Bingham, J.-P., Sweedler, J.V and Gilly, W.F. 2002. Anatomical correlates of venom production in Conus californicus. Biol. Bulletin 203:27-41. Neumeister, H., Ripley, B., Preuss, T. and Gilly, W.F. 2000. Effects of temperature on escape jetting in the squid Loligo opalescens. J. Exp. Biol. 203:547-557. Preuss, T. and Gilly, W.F. 2000. Role of prey-capture experience in the development of the escape response in the squid Loligo opalescens: a physiological correlate in an identified neuron. J. Exp. Biol. 203:559-565. Photo courtesy of L.A. Cicero/Stanford News Service |
William F. Gilly received a BSE (Electrical Engineering, 1972) from Princeton and a Ph.D. (Physiology and Biophysics, 1978) from Washington University. He had additional training at Yale University, University of Pennsylvania and the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole. Over the last 30 years he has contributed to our basic understanding of electrical excitability in nerve and muscle cells in a wide range of organisms ranging from brittle-stars to mammals. Much of this work employed the giant axon system of the squid as an experimental model system for molecular and biophysical approaches. Additional physiological studies made in the living squid revealed unexpected complexities in how the giant axon system controls escape responses, and how mechanisms governing that control are subject to modification by environmental factors like temperature and during normal development.