about our lab
Have you ever seen bar-headed geese soaring over the Himalayas and wondered how they were capable of flight at temperatures and altitudes that would be deadly to humans and most other organisms?
Do you ever find yourself surprised that your dog is perfectly happy playing outside for hours in the snow with no clothing or shoes and doesn’t catch hypothermia?
How can diving marine mammals be most active while holding their breath, often doing so between 90-95% of the time?
At the Kanatous Extreme Physiology lab, we’re interested in answering these questions and those like them.
Located on the campus of Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, Dr. Shane Kanatous leads a team of graduate students and undergraduate volunteers dedicated to increasing scientific knowledge regarding the physiology of animals that can survive under extreme environmental conditions. Currently, members of the lab are researching the physiological processes fueling the extraordinary exercise abilities of diving marine mammals. Through expanding upon the scientific understanding of marine mammal physiology in response to limited oxygen situations, members of the lab aim to assist in the development of treatments for restriction of blood supply to tissues resulting in a shortage of oxygen and the substrate or ‘fuel’ (i.e. lipids, carbohydrates, etc.) needed for cellular metabolic function, muscle trauma, and disease.
Check out the ‘Educational Outreach' tab to learn about some of what members of the lab are doing to engage aspiring scientists!
To learn more about the research and people involved, please see the “Who We Are" and “What We Do” tabs.