I am recruiting a motivated Master's and/or PhD graduate student to join my lab as early as Spring 2019! Interested folks should contact me via email and include a CV (resume), a brief statement of your research/career interests, a statement of relevant previous experiences and skills, and unofficial transcripts.
News and events
Paper out!
October 2018
We have a new paper out showing that heifers born to mothers heat stressed during late pregnancy have structural alterations in their mammary glands 2 years later! These alterations may mediate, at least in part, the negative effects of in utero heat stress on milk production later in life.
Paper out!
October 2018
Our new paper explores differences in morphology, the epigenome, and the transcriptome of the mammary gland and liver of postnatal dairy cattle exposed to heat stress or control conditions during fetal development. Our results suggest that epigenetic changes and altered gene expression within these organs may program morphology, with impacts on future performance.
Evolution 2018
August 18-22, 2018
At the 2nd Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology, I presented a poster on transgenerational epigenetic effects of intrauterine exposure to heat stress.
I attended the annual American Dairy Science Association meeting in Knoxville, TN. I presented our research showing how heat stress experienced during fetal development alters the ultrastructure and function of the mammary gland up to 2 years after the insult.
ADSA 2018
June 24-27, 2018
Family Day at the Dairy Farm
March 31, 2018
The Laporta lab participated in the 6th annual open house at the UF Dairy Farm, which gives the public an opportunity to tour the working dairy farm and learn about all aspects of dairy farm management and milk production. We ran the station 'Milking machine and the mammary gland' to provide education on mammary gland anatomy, milk synthesis, and the process of milk collection.
Paper out!
January 2018
We have a new paper out showing effects of dry period heat stress on hepatic proteins involved in lipid and amino acid metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, and the response to oxidative stress.
ADSA 2017
June 25-28, 2017
I was in Pittsburgh, PA for the annual American Dairy Science Association meeting. I gave a talk on DNA methylation patterns in liver and mammary gland of calves exposed to heat stress during late fetal development
Paper out!
June 2017
We have a new paper out online ahead of print in the Journal of Dairy Science. Our study shows potential physiological benefits for dairy calves when their heat stressed mothers are fed an immunosupplement during pregnancy.
I gave a poster presentation at the annual UF Postdoc Research Symposium on the transgenerational effects of environmental heat stress on mammary function.
Postdoc Symposium
April 14, 2017
Family Day at the Dairy Farm
April 1, 2017
Today was the open house at the UF Dairy Farm. 1600 people visited the farm and learned about dairy products, nutrition, milk production, disease, management, and reproduction of dairy cows. Our lab had a booth focused on the mammary gland and milking.