ECR Spotlight – Marjoriane de Amaral Free

Marjoriane de Amaral

How did you become interested in biology?

Since childhood, biology has been part of my life and interests. I remember playing ‘identify the plants’ and describing animals’ behavior to my friends. When people asked me, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ the answer couldn't have been anything else: I want to be a biologist! In school, I was fascinated by explanations about the origin of life and evolution. During this time, I decided that becoming a biologist would be my profession. During my undergraduate studies in Biology at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), I remember a class that explored the adaptive mechanisms of animals to survive in adverse environments, such as deserts. An example was the anuran Lithobates sylvaticus, which can tolerate freezing during the winter months. After that class, I was certain that this was what I wanted to work on within biology. So, I began working with herpetology and physiology, and my passion for biology only grew stronger. Nowadays, I can say that biology is who I am and is an integral part of my life.

Describe your scientific journey and your current research focus

After completing my undergraduate degree in Biology at UFRGS, I continued working on the eco-physiology of subtropical anurans at the Laboratory of Metabolism and Comparative Endocrinology (LaMEC) at UFRGS under the supervision of Dr Luiz Carlos Kucharski. During my master's degree, I studied the seasonal metabolic variations of the tree frog Boana pulchella, endemic to the southern region of South America. Currently, I am pursuing my PhD, during which I have conducted a study on the metabolic and physiological adaptations of this South American frog during exposure to low temperatures, dehydration and anoxia. Additionally, I have been involved in research related to thermal sensitivity and thermal limits of anurans, as well as adaptations during freezing tolerance. During the past year, I was awarded a scholarship and studied at the Donaña Biological Station in Seville, under the supervision of Dr Miguel Tejedo, investigating the physiological adaptations of three Iberian anurans subjected to freezing, describing the main cryoprotectants involved and their adaptive capacity. I am interested in all projects involving describing the plasticity of anurans in response to different environmental changes or pollutants. Currently, my main research focus is on the eco-physiology of anurans during exposure to stressors.

How would you explain the main findings of your paper to a member of the public?

Anurans face various environmental challenges, like changes in temperature and dehydration, which require them to adapt their energy metabolism and substrate usage to survive. Our study aimed to understand how gluconeogenesis, an important energy regulation pathway, works in Boana pulchella frogs when they're exposed to cooling and dehydration, and then recover afterward. We looked at how gluconeogenic activity from different sources like alanine, lactate, glycerol and glutamine happens in the liver, muscle and kidney, to get a better grasp of how this pathway is controlled and adaptable in anurans. One of our major findings was that frogs’ muscle tissue can produce glucose through gluconeogenesis from lactate and alanine, which hasn't been reported before, as far as we know. Also, we found that environmental conditions affect gluconeogenesis, and it's interesting to see that different stressors make frogs prefer different gluconeogenic sources. These findings show that different tissues can adapt differently depending on the stress they're facing, which gives us a deeper insight into how anuran physiology works.

Why did you choose JEB to publish your paper?

In addition to being a highly respected journal, JEB is known for bringing together various audiences and researchers within the field of comparative biology, and this was one of the main criteria for selecting my article for publication in the journal. JEB has long been one of my favorite journals for finding published scientific articles to support my literature reviews and readings. Besides these aspects, the journal is reliable and maintains strict publication criteria, considering the ethical and transparency aspects that scientific research should uphold. I was thrilled that my article was accepted in the journal, and I intend to continue reading and submitting studies to JEB.

What do you enjoy most about research, and why?

What I enjoy most about research is the fact that we're always seeking answers to the questions that arise in each study or project we undertake. Research has the power to fill gaps and open up new ones to be explored. I find this fantastic because it shows that we're always learning something and, at the same time, generating new questions. Moreover, my field allows me to work in two places I love: the laboratory and the field. Being able to go out into the field, walk through marshlands, and see animals up close makes the study incredibly exciting. Then, when I return to the laboratory bench, I can put into practice various techniques that later provide answers to what we observed. To me, this is incredibly fascinating and motivates me to continue!

What is the hardest challenge you have faced in the course of your research and how did you overcome it?

Working with wildlife, the greatest challenge I encounter in research is that things don't always go as planned. For example, I've conducted several field trips to collect animals, only to find that they simply didn't show up (in places where they were always present!). Other times, I've gone to locations where there were no records of them, and guess what? There they were. However, I believe that working in biology, and especially in the field of comparative physiology, is about understanding the unpredictability of things and recognizing that this unpredictability is part of nature and the animals themselves, which makes it all the more amazing.

What is your favourite animal, and why?

Frogs, obviously. One of the main reasons this animal is my favorite is because they have tremendous adaptive plasticity. Despite having sensitive and delicate skin, being dependent on water and being ectothermic, these animals can inhabit challenging environments incredibly well, making physiological, anatomical or behavioral adjustments. Another amazing thing about these animals is that they can produce skin secretions that have been described as natural therapeutic agents with potential antiviral and anticancer properties. Additionally, they have a variety of reproductive forms, defense mechanisms and diverse calls that make them the best animals in the world (sorry to lovers of other animals).

What's next for you?

After completing my PhD, I will begin a postdoctoral project at UFRGS, under the supervision of Dr Luiz Carlos Kuckarski, focusing on the physiological adaptations of South American tadpoles to exposure to microplastics and different temperatures. In a world where climate change and water contamination by microplastics are already a reality, I believe that research in these fields can help us in the conservation of these animals. I also intend to further enhance relationships and partnerships with other researchers in this area, as I believe that together we can carry out even more valuable projects and make important discoveries to complement the existing literature on the eco-physiology of anurans. At each new phase and stage of my career, I become even more excited, and I can't wait to start this new project.