Alison Robertson, Ph.D.

Bio

Over the past 15 years, Dr. Alison Robertson's research has focused on elucidation of the mechanisms of toxicity and resistance, and health impacts of natural toxins and anthropogenic contaminants in marine and freshwater at multiple levels of organization (bio-molecular, cellular, organismal, population, community, and ecosystem). She has a strong interest in understanding impacts of chemical contaminants in aquatic organisms and ecosystems, particularly the sub-lethal effects on behavior, reproduction, immune system, and nervous system function.

Research Highlights:

• Understanding the chemical ecology and mechanisms of toxin and secondary metabolite production in pelagic and benthic phytoplankton 
• Biomolecular mechanisms and impacts of phycotoxin exposure in marine biota and humans
• Evaluating ecological risk of cyanotoxins, ciguatoxins, and other phycotoxins on local, regional, and global scales

Recently Funded and Active Grants:

• NOAA NCCOS Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms: CIGUATOX: A study of Gambierdiscus “super bugs” and ciguatoxin fate in coral reef food webs
• NSF (OISE 1743802) Partnerships in International Research and Education (PIRE): CIGUAPIRE: Linking the chemical and biological diversity of epiphytic dinoflagellates in tropical oceans: Advancing global understanding on the origin of ciguatera.
• NSF (OCE 1841811) Greater Caribbean Center for Ciguatera Research (GCCCR)
• NIEHS (P01ES028949) Center for Oceans and Human Health (CIGUACOHH) 
• NIEHS (R21ES032119) Impacts of Hurricanes on Coastal Seafood Resources and Seafood Safety

Research Interest

Projects

Publications

• 2022

  Mudge, E.M., J. Meija, S. Uhlig, A. Robertson, P. McCarron, and C.O. Miles. Production and stability of Oxygen-18 labeled Caribbean ciguatoxins and gambierones. Toxicon 2022, 211:11-20. doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2022.03.005.

• 2021

  Mudge, E.M., A. Robertson, A. Leynse, P. McCarron, and C.O. Miles. Selective Extraction of Gambierone and Related Metabolites in Gambierdiscus silvae using m-Aminophenylboronic Acid–Agarose Gel and Liquid Chromatography–High-Resolution Mass Spectrometric Detection Journal of Chromatography B 2021, 123014. doi.org/10.1016/j.jchromb.2021.123014.

• Gwinn, JK., S. Uhlig, L. Ivanova, C.K.Faest, F. Kryuchkov, A. Robertson. In Vitro Glucuronidation of Caribbean Ciguatoxins in Fish: First Report of Conjugative Ciguatoxin Metabolites. Chemical Research in Toxicology. 34 (8), 1910-1925. doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.1c00181.

• Liefer, J.D.; M.L. Richlen, T.B. Smith, J.L. DeBose, Y. Xu, D.M. Anderson, A. Robertson. Asynchrony of Gambierdiscus spp. Abundance and Toxicity in the U.S. Virgin Islands: Implications for Monitoring and Management of Ciguatera. Toxins. 13, 413. doi.org/10.3390/toxins13060413.

• Hancock, TL., S.L. Blonder, A.A. Bury, R. A. Smolinski, M.L. Parsons, A. Robertson, H. Urakawa. Succession pattern and phylotype analysis of microphytobenthic communities in a simulated oil spill seagrass mesocosm experiment. Science of The Total Environment. 784, 47053. doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147053.

• Dahl, K.A., A. Fields, A. Robertson, D.S. Portnoy, A. Grieme, G. Lockridge, and W.F. Patterson. Factors affecting DNA barcoding classification accuracy for piscine prey: An experimental assessment with invasive lionfish. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 547: p. 151675. doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2021.151675.

• Bennett, C.T. and A. Robertson. Depuration kinetics and growth dilution of Caribbean CTX in the omnivore Lagodon rhomboides: Implications for trophic transfer and ciguatera risk. Toxins 2021, 13(11):774. DOI: 10.3390/toxins13110774.

• 2020

  Kryuchkov, F., A. Robertson, C.O. Miles, E.M. Mudge, and S. Uhlig. LC–HRMS and Chemical Derivatization Strategies for the Structure Elucidation of Caribbean Ciguatoxins: Identification of C-CTX-3 and -4. Mar. Drugs. 18(4),182. https://doi.org/10.3390/md18040182.

• FAO-WHO 25 contributing authors listed alphabetically Robertson, A.. Report of the Expert Meeting on Ciguatera Poisoning. Rome, 19–23 November 2018. Rome, Italy. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 156pp. doi.org/10.4060/ca8817en.

• Curran, M. C. and A. Robertson. Chemistry Made Easy: Teaching Students about the Link Between Marine Chemistry and Coral Reef Biodiversity. Current: The Journal of Marine Education. 34(2): 1-11.

• 2019

  Novoveska, L. and A. Robertson. Brevetoxin-Producing Spherical Cells Present in Karenia brevis Bloom: Evidence of Morphological Plasticity. J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 7(2), 24. doi.org/10.3390/jmse7020024.

  

• Bennett, C.T., A. Robertson, and W.F. Patterson. First record of the non-indigenous Indo-Pacific damselfish, Neopomacentrus cyanomos (Bleeker, 1856) in the northern Gulf of Mexico. BioInvasions Records. 8 (1): 154–166. DOI: 10.3391/bir.2019.8.1.17.

• Lefebvre, K.A., B.J. Yakes, E. Frame, P. Kendrick, S. Shum, N. Isoherranen, B.E. Ferriss, A. Robertson, A. Hendrix, D. J. Marcinek, and L. Grattan. Discovery of a Potential Human Serum Biomarker for Chronic Seafood Toxin Exposure Using an SPR Biosensor. Toxins. 11(5), 293. doi.org/10.3390/toxins11050293.

  

• Gwinn, J. K., A. Robertson and R. P. Kiene. Effect of Salinity on DMSP Production in Gambierdiscus belizeanus (Dinophyceae). Journal of Phycology. 55(6): 1401-1411. doi.org/10.1111/jpy.12923.

• 2018

  Parsons, M. L., M. L. Richlen and A. Robertson. Harmful Algae: Gambierdiscus. Harmful Algal Blooms: A Compendium Desk Reference: 601-604.

• Loeffler, C. R., A. Robertson, H. A. Flores Quintana, M. C. Silander, T. B. Smith and D. Olsen. Ciguatoxin prevalence in four commercial fish species along an oceanic exposure gradient in the US Virgin Islands. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 37(7): 1852-1863.

Who We Are

	Molly Miller, Ph.D.	Research Assistant Professor, CiguaPIRE Research Coordinator	Focus area: Chemical Ecology of Algal Secondary Metabolites
	Jennifer DeBose, Ph.D.	Research Specialist (part-time), Greater Caribbean Center for Ciguatera Research	Focus area: Chemical Ecology of Algal Secondary Metabolites
	Keiana James, MSc.	Research Technician	Focus area: Environmental Chemistry
	Alex Elizabeth (Liz) Murphy, BSc.	Biotechnologist III	Focus area: Prevalence, Distribution, and Environmental Drivers of Natural Toxins in Fish

Students:

	Alexander Leynse, Ph.D. Candidate, Marine Sciences	BS, Florida Gulf Coast University MS, Florida Gulf Coast University	Project: The ecological function of secondary metabolites of tropi-benthic dinoflagellates
	Jessica Gwinn, Ph.D. Candidate, Marine Sciences	B.S in Bioenvironmental Sciences, B.S. in Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences, Texas A & M University	Dissertation:  Toxicokinetic Properties of Caribbean Ciguatoxins: Linking Organismal to Ecological Movement of CTX
	Clay Bennett, Ph.D. Student, Marine Sciences	B.S. 2008, Troy University 2008 - 2012, Fisheries Observer, NOAA	Dissertation: Toxicokinetics of Caribbean ciguatoxin in mid-trophic level fish.
	Sean Collins, MS Student, Marine Sciences	B.S. Biology, University of South Alabama	Thesis:  Effects of Phycotoxins on Endocrine Nuclear Receptor Response in Gulf Killifish (Fundulus grandis)

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