In the 2018 spring
semester, I took a class called Zebrafish Lab with Dr. Gwendolyn Lewis. In this
class, we were split into groups and told to choose a chemical to treat
zebrafish embryos with. Out of all the available chemicals, my group and I
decided on BPA. We chose this chemical because it is used in the creation of
plastics, which is accumulating in the oceans, and reportedly, people. After a
semester of testing, we found BPA had negative effects on heart rate, body
shape, pigmentation, axon formation, and Schwann cell formation. Because I
enjoyed the class so much, I asked Dr. Lewis if I could continue the project
into the coming year, so she suggested I sign up for OSCAR.
In this new iteration of the experiment, I am mainly
looking for differences in peripheral axon development in zebrafish embryos
after treating them with BPA. A tentative schedule is as follows: On Monday, I
set up breeding cages for the zebrafiStSsh. On Tuesday, I collect the embryos
that settle at the bottom of the cages and then mix three different
concentrations of BPA in the water of the embryos. On Wednesday, if I choose to
take body shape, pigmentation, or tail coiling measures, I remove the embryos
from their eggs and do any or all the above analyses. If I instead choose to image
the peripheral axons, I treat the zebrafish embryos with PTU, which prevents
formation of pigment cells so I can get a clearer image. On Thursday, I would
report my weekly findings to Dr. Lewis. On Friday, I would take care of the
fish tanks and then image the zebrafish embryos, targeting the area where the
peripheral axons exit the spinal cord. So far, it seems that fish treated with
higher dosages of BPA had higher rates of ectopic (growing where they shouldn’t
be) axons.
Overall, the OSCAR program has been a unique and engaging
experience that will translate to my current goal, which is to become involved
in clinical research. One of the most exciting experiences was being able to go
to the National Conferences on Undergraduate Research as part of the OSCAR
program, where we had an opportunity to share our research and learn about the
huge breadth of other topics being researched by other students all over the
country.
