Ryan Range and postdoc Jennifer Fenner, along with collaborates Ken Halaynch and Jake Warner from UNC Wilmington, were awarded a grant from NSF office of Polar Programs to study the slow developing sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri. This project aims to investigate the changes in the early embryonic gene regulatory networks that have allowed S. neumayeri to develop extremely slow while maintaining a metabolic rate similar to temperate urchin species. This project will not only characterize the genetic changes required for echinoderm adaptation to an extreme environment, but will also provide insight into the general molecular mechanisms controlling time in early embryonic development. Range and Fenner are expected to be "on ice" at McMurdo Station Antarctica in November 2023.