Leveraging novel epigenetic and biotelemetry tools to assess the impact of sleep disruption on biological aging in the wild
Dr Davide Dominoni, School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine (University of Glasgow)
Dr Isabella Capellini, School of Biological Sciences (Queens University Belfast)
Summary
This project investigates how urbanization impacts sleep patterns and ageing in wild birds, focusing on the Eurasian Blackbird as a model species. Urban environments often cause changes in animals' daily activity cycles, with many shifting to more nocturnal activity due to human activity, light, and noise pollution, including in blackbirds. However, it is unclear whether these shifts result in sleep loss, which could have negative health consequences, as seen in humans and lab animals. The study aims to create an “epigenetic clock” for blackbirds, using DNA methylation patterns to measure biological age. This clock will help determine whether urban blackbirds age faster than their rural counterparts. The student will also monitor sleep in blackbirds by attaching accelerometers to track movement and infer sleep behaviors. By studying birds across an urban gradient, they will assess how urban factors like light pollution affect sleep patterns, and whether deviations from natural sleep patterns are associated with faster ageing. This research will provide insights into the effects of urbanization on the health and longevity of wild animals. It will offer strong training in molecular biology, field ecology, biotelemetry and statistics, including machine learning.