Research Microbiologist
National Ocean Service, Charleston, SC
Ph.D., Medical University
of South Carolina
cheryl.woodley@noaa.gov
Molecular genetics and biochemistry of marine organisms. Research focuses in the application of molecular and cellular biology to understanding the effect of natural and anthropogenic stressors on ecosystem health. We are using a suite of cell stress biomarkers to assess ecosystem health as well as to provide indicators of the type or source of stressor. The cellular biology is being coupled with genetics of key indicator species to understand genetic relatedness and susceptibility to contaminant exposures and disease.
Publications:
Craig A. Downs, John E. Fauth, John C.
Halas, Phillip Dustan, John Bemiss and Cheryl M. Woodley, “Oxidative
Stress and Seasonal Coral Bleaching”, Free Rad. Biol. Med. 33: 533-543
(2002).
Craig A. Downs, John E. Fauth and Cheryl M. Woodley, “Molecular
Biomarker System for the Health Assessment of the Grass Shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio, Exposed to Heat Stress, Cadmium, Endosulfan,
Atrazine, Diesel Fuel and Bunker Fuel”, Mar. Biotechnol. 3:380-397
(2001).
Craig A. Downs, Robert T. Dillon, Jr., John E. Fauth, and Cheryl M.
Woodley, "A Molecular Biomarker System for Assessing the Health of
Gastropods (Ilyanassa obsoleta) Exposed to Natural and Anthropogenic
Stressors", J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 259: 189-214 (2001).
Craig A. Downs, Erich Mueller, Susan Phillips, John E. Fauth, and Cheryl
M. Woodley. “A Molecular Biomarker System for Assessing the Health of
Coral (Montastraea faveolata) during Heat Stress”, Mar. Biotechnol., 2:
533-544 (2000).