531: Breaking Down the Mysteries of Digestion in Animals With Unusual Diets - Dr. Donovan German
Dr. Donovan German is Associate Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. He studies how guts work, aiming to better understand how materials move through the gut, which enzymes are secreted during digestion, what microbes are present, and what role these microbes play. In particular, Donovan focuses his research on animals with unusual diets, such as fish that eat wood or algae, to understand how these foods are digested and how animals can survive on these lower quality foods. Beyond his interests in science, Donovan loves sports and music. He played football through college, and he now enjoys coaching his kids\u2019 baseball and soccer teams. Donovan played bass in a band during college, and he also plays the guitar and drums. Donovan received his B.A. in Marine Science from the University of San Diego, his M.S. In Biology from California State University in Fullerton, and his Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Florida. Afterwards, he conducted postdoctoral research at UC, Irvine before joining the faculty there in 2011. Donovan\u2019s awards and honors include receipt of the UC President\u2019s Postdoctoral Fellowship, the UCI School of Biological Sciences Dean\u2019s Award for Postdoctoral Excellence, and the UCI School of Biological Sciences Chancellor\u2019s Award for Excellence in Fostering Undergraduate Research. In our interview Donovan shares more about his life and science.