About the Gurr Lab
Mission
We elucidate cellular and molecular traits that underlie organismal responses to environmental change and apply them to improve shellfish aquaculture resilience.
Focus Areas
Early-life programming and hormetic conditioning
Cellular bioenergetics, cytology, and multi-omics
Predictive phenotyping and quantitative genetics for breeding
Research Philosophy
Start with industry needs → design testable mechanistic hypotheses → translate findings into feasible interventions.
This loop ensures our science is both fundamental and useful to the aquaculture community.
Principal Investigator
Samuel Gurr, PhD
National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow, NOAA NEFSC – Milford Laboratory | Affiliate, Oregon State University
Sam is a biologist focused on shellfish genetics and physiology whose work addresses food security amid rapid environmental change.
He combines multi-omics with organismal experiments to find the “candidate traits” that predict performance under stress.
Impact
Our research strengthens the connection between scientific discovery and sustainable food systems. By revealing how shellfish adapt to stress at the cellular and molecular level, we help aquaculture industries anticipate change instead of reacting to it. The lab’s findings inform smarter hatchery practices, guide breeding programs, and support resilient coastal communities that depend on healthy oceans.
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Even the smallest cell can reveal how life adapts. Our lab investigates how shellfish respond to changing environments—linking gene expression, metabolism, and physiology to survival and growth. By studying resilience at multiple scales, we uncover the biological patterns that keep ocean life thriving.
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We don’t stop at discovery. Each experiment is designed with hatchery and industry partners in mind. Our integrative approach—combining cytology, physiology, and multi-omics—helps translate molecular insights into real-world aquaculture solutions that boost production and stability.
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Our work follows a simple but powerful path:
Environmental change → Candidate traits → Aquaculture intervention → Product outcome.
This framework connects basic biology to measurable impact and ensures that every dataset can inform better decisions for sustainable seafood and coastal economies. -
The Gurr Lab is a team of biologists, data scientists, and collaborators driven by curiosity and community. Together, we explore how adaptation unfolds—from cells and genes to hatcheries and ecosystems—advancing science that serves both people and the planet.
Framework
Environmental change → Candidate traits → Aquaculture intervention → Product outcome
(adapted from Gurr et al., 2020–2025)
🧭 FAQ Section
Where is the lab located?
The Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon.
What facilities are available for research?
The Gurr Lab functions as a small hatchery. Our spaces feature a wet and dry lab, an array of flow-through seawater systems, coastal raft, greenhouse, and outdoor holding tanks. Our experimental systems are capable of simultaneous control of seawater parameters (temperature, dissolved oxygen, pCO2, etc.) to host a breadth of projects. Key to our lab is our unique cooperation with a federal oyster breeding center, offering access to ~100 selectively bred oyster families, sterile bench space and instrumentation, quarantined effluent, and bulk algae monocultures.
How can I join the lab?
Check the Join the Team and News pages for details on current openings and how to apply. When positions are available, a notice will also appear in the site’s announcement bar. Please do not hesitate to contact the lab as well!
What types of projects are offered?
Each study positions mariculture enhancement at the forefront. The questions we ask and discoveries we make are routed in theorical and applied concepts. Current directions span early life programming, multi –omics, and bioenergetics, and phenomics.
Cand industry patterns collaborate?
Absolutely! Our ultimate goal is to scale tools for real-world applications. It is essential that the lab partners with hatcheries, farms, and agencies.