A 91ֿ faculty researcher in the Department of Biological Sciences has launched a pioneering study to explore how different species adapt to high-altitude environments in the Himalayas where oxygen levels are significantly lower. This project seeks to uncover the genetic and physiological mechanisms behind acute and chronic hypoxia responses (a low oxygen condition that affects health and function) in birds, with the potential to transform public health strategies for managing conditions related to oxygen deprivation.
In April, Assistant Professor Sangeet Lamichhaney, Ph.D., was awarded a $456,000 National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the National Institutes of General Medical Sciences for the three-year project.
“The purpose of the research in my lab is to understand how species adapt to new environments, a fundamental question in evolutionary biology, which is particularly important today because the climate is changing constantly,” Lamichhaney said.
His in the OMICS Lab focuses on the biological mechanisms that allow these species to persist through environmental changes. They use genomic tools to better understand the genetic basis of adaptation and use the data to predict future climate change scenarios and conservation needs.
Technological Advances
Lamichhaney’s interest in adaptation and biodiversity started at an early age, just observing various species and their differences.
“I began training in this field during a period when genomic technology was rapidly advancing,” Lamichhaney said. “The ability to study genomes of non-model species and apply new genomic tools aligns perfectly with my career interests, allowing me to explore age-old questions about biodiversity with cutting-edge technology.”
91ֿ the Project
This project focuses on birds in the Himalayan Mountains, known for their extreme environment with changes in elevation, temperature and oxygen levels. Hypoxia is a critical feature that birds must adapt to and the researchers aim to explore the genetic basis of adaptation to hypoxia.
In May, Prashant Ghimire, a 91ֿ biology doctoral student from Nepal with a lot of experience studying birds in the Himalayas, joined Lamichhaney to conduct the fieldwork in India. They looked at multiple species of redstarts that are locally adapted to different elevations, ranging from 500 meters to 5,000 meters. Some species are residents, staying year-round at a particular elevation, while others engage in altitudinal migration, moving up the mountains during their breeding season and returning down outside the breeding season. The researchers will compare these two groups of species to see how different durations of hypoxia exposure impact their genomes.
“Having local experience is crucial because the environment is challenging,” Lamichhaney said. “In future years, we plan to spend the entire summer in India – approximately three months each year – for three years.”
In 2025 and 2026 they’ll also conduct a controlled experiment by establishing aviaries at various elevations. Birds will be captured from low elevations, with half being kept at the same elevation and the other half relocated to a higher elevation, and vice versa. This will help them understand how abrupt environmental changes impact birds' plastic genetic and phenotypic traits.
Although similar studies could be done in other places like the Rocky Mountains or Andes, the Himalayas provide a unique system that hasn’t been explored as thoroughly and is particularly advantageous due to the region’s rapid elevation changes.
Hypoxia in Humans
This research could have significant implications for understanding hypoxia-related conditions in humans. Many of the same genes involved in hypoxia adaptation in birds are also relevant to humans, particularly for those living at high altitudes or athletes exposed to such conditions.
“By comparing the genetic changes in birds with those found in humans, we can identify evolutionarily conserved genes that are functionally significant, potentially informing health strategies for hypoxia-related issues in humans,” Lamichhaney said. “There are some species of birds that can even fly over Mount Everest, which is around 8,848 meters (the highest peak in the world). Physiologically, they are more strongly adapted, so birds are a great system to exploit extreme altitudinal adaptation. When we identify the genetic changes associated with the adaptation to high altitudes, it will have a direct relevance to human health because most of those genetic changes are possibly shared with humans.”
Challenging Field Work
The Himalayas span across India, Nepal and into Tibet forming one border of the Tibetan Plateau. Lamichhaney has collaborators in China working on the Tibetan side and in India working on the Indian side of the Himalayas. Working at high altitudes involves significant logistics, including a lot of field gear, hiking in rugged and remote areas and camping rather than staying in hotels.
“In summer, the birds are breeding, which is ideal for our research,” Lamichhaney said. “We aim to capture birds, collect blood samples, and perform morphological and physiological measurements. We’ll measure hemoglobin, hematocrit and other blood components. The DNA and RNA samples will be extracted from the blood and analyzed in the lab for genomics and transcriptomics studies.”
Regulatory Challenges
One major challenge is that current Indian regulations restrict bringing samples from India to the United States, so they must do all genetic studies in India.
“Luckily, there are many biotech companies in India that can handle genomic and transcriptomic sequencing,” Lamichhaney said. “We’ll only be bringing the data back to the United States. Nepal has similar restrictions, and the lack of biotech infrastructure there makes it challenging. However, working with local resources in Nepal presents opportunities to enhance local research capabilities and education outreach.”
Undergraduate Student Training
This grant emphasizes both research and student training, particularly for undergraduates. Although this year’s funding came too late for undergraduates to join them for the summer fieldwork in India, students will participate in upcoming fieldwork in India as well as engage in lab work and data analytics in Kent. The project aims to involve 15 to 20 undergraduates over three years, providing comprehensive exposure to various research aspects.
“There’s a strong emphasis on undergraduate training in our lab,” Lamichhaney said. “We also aim to integrate research with coursework, such as developing a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) program to give students real-time practical research experience while earning academic credit. This approach provides valuable hands-on experience and helps students build their resumes.”