Dimitri
Deheyn Ph.D.
Academic
Address
Scripps Institution of
Oceanography
Marine Biology Research Division
University of California-San Diego
La Jolla, CA 92093-0202
Phone: 858-822-5303
Fax: 858-534-7313
E-mail: ddeheyn ucsd.edu
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Education
Université Libre
de Bruxelles, BELGIUM (1988-1998)
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Bachelor in Science (Honours),
1988-1990
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Master in Zoological
Sciences (First Class Honours), 1990-1992
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Ph.D. in Sciences, Marine
Biology, (First Class Honours cum laude), 1992-1998
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Title of
the PhD: "Study of bioluminescence in the ophiuroid Amphipholis
squamata (Delle Chiaje, 1828) (Echinodermata): structure
of photogenous sites; characteristics of expression and function
of the bioluminescence".
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Auxiliary thesis:
"The use of bioluminescent organisms as biosensors would
give a new dimension to the research in ecotoxicology by allowing
a stratified reading of the effect of environmental stresses".
Teaching Experience
Dr. Deheyn's teaching
experience relies on numerous guest lectures taught in various classes
including “Comparative Invertebrate Anatomy and Physiology”,
“Bioluminescence Physiology”, and “Symbiosis and Parasitosis”,
and since 2003, on his experience at ITEC teaching Coral Reef Ecology.
Research Interests
My research focuses
on understanding how marine organisms are adapted to their surrounding
environment. My interests therefore integrate multiple disciplines,
including biology, physiology, symbiosis and ecology, as well as, to
a certain extent, geochemistry and physical oceanography. My model organisms
are Echinoderms, and in particular brittlestars (a starfish cousin),
and I use bioluminescence, the light production by living organisms,
as a proxy to the level of stress experienced by the light emitting
individual. Indeed the greater the condition of sub-lethal stress (due
to parasites or exposure to pollutants) the less bioluminescence produced
by luminous organisms. Using bioluminescent brittlestars I currently
develop this bioassay to assess environment quality, especially involving
metal contamination of natural and/or anthropogenic origin. This multidisciplinary
aspect of Science is found throughout my teaching, which also emphasizes
on developing a critical spirit for field and laboratory observations,
and on setting up experimental designs.
Recent Publications
- Deheyn DD, Bencheikh-Latmani
R, Latz MI (2004). Chemical speciation and toxicity of metals assessed
by three bioluminescence-based assays using marine organisms. Environmental
Toxicology 19: 161-178
- Doignon G, Deheyn D, Fiers,
F (2004). Telestacicola xenophiothricis n. sp. (Copepoda,
Poecilostomatoida), a remarkably well adapted commensal of the brittlestar
Ophiothrix purpurea (Echinodermata). Belgian Journal of Zoology
134 (2/1): 67-73
- Deheyn D, Jangoux M, Warnau
M (2000) Alteration of bioluminescence in Amphipholis squamata
(Ophiuroidea: Echinodermata) by heavy metal contamination: a field
study. The Science of the Total Environment 247: 41-49
- Deheyn D, Mallefet J, Jangoux
M (2000b) Evidence of seasonal variation in bioluminescence of Amphipholis
squamata (Ophiuroidea, Echinodermata): effect of environmental
factors. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 245: 245-264
- Deheyn D, Watson NA, Jangoux
M (1998) Symbioses in Amphipholis squamata (Echinodermata,
Ophiuroidea, Amphiuridae): geographical variation of infestation and
effect of symbionts on the host’s light production. International
Journal for Parasitology 28: 1413-1424
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