Krishnan Lab

In the Krishnan lab, we delve into the fascinating world of Astyanax mexicanus, commonly known as the blind Mexican cavefish. These fish live in environments with little light and nutrition. Our goal is to unravel their extraordinary survival strategies to gain insights for human health.

Animals have adapted to survive very long periods of low nutrients, including hibernating mammals, migratory birds, and our favorite - cavefishes. Most of these organisms binge eat to store up large amounts of energy before periods of starvation, but don’t experience damaging effects from the excess. How do they manage this? Can we study them to better understand human metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity?

In the depths of subterranean caves, blind fish, Astyanax mexicanus, have evolved adaptations to conquer challenges of limited energy resources. We investigate how cavefish endure extended periods without food. My work has revealed that differences in gene regulation may hold the key to their resilience. My lab uses modern genetic and genomic tools to search for unique features contributing to their survival.

Our studies shed light on the evolutionary forces shaping cavefish physiology and draw a bridge to human health. Our mission is to extend our findings beyond the lab to pave the way for innovative approaches in treating metabolic disorders in humans.