Tertius A Kohn

BSc, BSc Hons, PhD, Adv Dip Business Project Management

 Extraordinary Lecturer in Paraclinical Veterinary Science, UP

www.myolab.co.za

Research Sub-theme

Structure and Function of Wildlife

Mammals share a number of genes that are similar, with merely slight differences in their genetic code itself. Comparatively, there are vast differences between land mammals including size, muscle mass and limb length. Muscle function of the various wild animal species are poorly studied - amounting to only 0.9% of the 5500 mammal species (including humans). Comparative studies are currently underway to broaden our understanding of their unique properties.

Research Projects

The muscle biochemistry of the following wild species are currently being studied in separate projects:

• Primates (baboon, chimpanzee, Green Vervet Monkey)
• Predators (lion, cheetah, leopard, caracal, jackal)
• Various antelope species

Consequences of capture and capture myopathy:

• Understanding the short and long-term consequences of capture.
• Determining parameters which can indicate whether an animal may suffer post- capture.
• Determining the mechanisms that cause capture myopathy and establishing effective treatments.