Liberal Arts and Sciences
Duffy Lab
Led by David Duffy · Biology
What we study
The Duffy Lab studies sea turtle disease, especially the cancer fibropapillomatosis, using genomics, molecular biology, imaging, and environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques. They collect samples from beaches and turtles, analyze genetic changes, and investigate viruses and marine debris impacts to improve conservation and health.
What working here is like
- Wet lab
- Fieldwork
- Computational
- Marine organisms
- Wild animals
- Projects
- 5
- Papers
- 5
Current projects
Mutations in tumor genomes
Looks for the genetic mutations that drive fibropapillomatosis tumors in sea turtles by studying tumor genomes.
Cellular signaling events driving fibropapillomatosis
Studying cell communication pathways that promote tumor growth.
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Environmental DNA‑based detection of sea turtles and their pathogens
Using eDNA from sand and water to locate turtles and track diseases.
Health implications of marine debris ingestion in young turtles
Studies how swallowing marine debris affects the health of young sea turtles.
Role of viruses in fibropapillomatosis tumor formation
Investigating viral contributions to turtle cancer development.
Summaries are written by AI in plain language from public symposium abstracts and may be imperfect.
Recent papers, explained
- Abundance, distribution, and origins of hawksbill sea turtles on the nearshore Atlantic reefs of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
2026 · Frontiers in Marine Science
Counts hawksbill sea turtles in Florida Keys reefs to study their abundance and growth.
- Long-read nanopore shotgun metagenomic DNA sequencing for river biodiversity, wildlife, pollution, and environmental health monitoring
2026 · NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics
Tests long-read sequencing to track river biodiversity, pollution, and health using water samples.
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- PERSPECTIVES ON THE APPLICATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL DNA/RNA APPROACHES TO MOSQUITO SURVEILLANCE AND CONTROL IN FLORIDA
2025 · Journal of the Florida Mosquito Control Association
Tests whether environmental DNA/RNA can track mosquito populations in Florida.
- Shotgun sequencing of airborne eDNA achieves rapid assessment of whole biomes, population genetics and genomic variation
2025 · Nature Ecology & Evolution
Uses long-read sequencing to study biodiversity and genetics from air samples in two days.
- Environmental DNA without borders
2024 · EMBO Reports
Explores how genomic monitoring can adapt to global environmental regulations.
Plain-language summaries are AI-written and reviewed by us; check the paper for details.
How to reach out
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