Week 2
Hope everyone is having a great Friday!
First of all, you might have noticed the title of my blog has changed. I haven't changed my project topic; I just wanted to refocus it on particular aspects of the research being done in the Gallitano lab. I also edited my Senior Research Project Proposal, which you can see by clicking on the Project Proposal link to the right.
I spent most of this week imaging the slices of mouse brains, which is cool because I am learning which mice types have more or less fluorescent markings (the gene knockout mice have virtually no markings because they are lacking the EGR3 gene that would cause them, while the normal wild type mice have lots of markings on their brains). However, it is still a lot of sitting in a small room in the dark starring at mouse brains, so I was happy that I got to do something different today.
Today I helped out with a new experiment the lab is running where they inject the brains of live mice with a virus that inserts genes that the lab hopes will help counteract the symptoms experienced by the knock out mice. If the mice are better at adapting to novel situations, are less aggressive, etc. it could show an interesting possibility for treatment (at least in mice). My job to help out with this was to pipette 10 microliters of virus solution into different tubes, and then put them briefly in the centrifuge. I had thought pipetting in general was a little stressful, but pipetting virus samples is even more nerve racking! Still it was a really interesting experience.
I also learned how to use the autoclave today. For those of you who don't know, an autoclave is a machine that heats up things to sterilize them, and the one in the lab uses steam. I was sterilizing some pipette tips that would later be used during genetic testing of the mice (they need to be sterile so no foreign DNA messes up the results). When you autoclave things you have to put a piece of special tape on them that changes color if it gets to the correct temperature.
Anyway, today was a fun end to the week! I feel like I am learning a lot, not only about autoclaves, pipettes, and mouse brains, but also about what working in a lab is like. Thanks for reading!
Hi, Serena! I have to say I really like how your project is progressing. I am glad to see that this project is giving you a valuable experience in scientific research. When my sister worked at the Mayo Clinic, she also did a lot of labs and research, though she said she didn't like it as much as more active, hands-on kinds of work. But, personally, I think I'm the type who would enjoy lab work, and I wouldn't mind sitting in a dark room staring at mouse brains. How are you finding your experience in working in a lab? Pipetting is pretty difficult, but I'm sure you'll get the hang of it! Please keep us updated!
ReplyDeleteI have found my experience of working in the lab to be a little challenging, but also fun and really informative. I will say that I enjoy it most when I get to do a variety of different tasks, not just the same thing everyday.
DeleteWhat a great week, Serena! It's awesome that you're getting so much lab experience and I'm so excited to hear about the results of the virus injections into the live mice brains. Even though it's only for mice, it's thrilling to know that we might just be that much closer to a possible treatment for humans. I know this has just been your second week, but have these past couple weeks influenced what you might want to do in the future (possibly lab work)? It's alright if you're still undecided, but I was just curious. Anyway, thanks for another fabulous post!
ReplyDeleteWell I have pretty much always wanted to have a career related to Biology, and probably work in a lab, so this experience hasn't changed my plans for the future, but it has been a nice way for me to see the kind of environment I might work in one day.
DeleteHi Serena! It's so cool to read that you are having all kinds of new experiences that could further medicine for schizophrenic people. I was wondering if the research your doing specifically pertains to schizophrenia or other maladies or the brain? I hope to hear more!
ReplyDeleteThe lab I am working with has studied a variety of mental illnesses in the past but the current studies I am helping out with are specifically in relation to schizophrenia.
DeleteHi Serena! This whole mice brain imaging sounds like a lot of fun, but I'm sorry to hear that the pipetting process hasn't gone so well for you. I can't possibly imagine how stressful it's been.
ReplyDeleteFor my question, I wanted to know how this can be taken further. What might be the steps to eventually apply this to people or maybe bigger animal subjects? It was just something that seemed very interesting. Good work so far! Can't wait to see more!
Well, if the virus does work at reducing the symptoms of the mice it would show that the main cause of symptoms (at least in these mice) is the lack of serotonin 2A receptors, and that if more of these can be made the condition can be treated. Using this knowledge, treatments that target the production of these receptors could potentially be made.
DeleteHowever, for now the lab is just trying to see if they can reduce the symptoms of the knock out mice.
Hi Serena! It sounds like your second week went well! It’s nice that you were able to get some hands-on experience this week, though I can’t imagine how tedious your job is! Which part of the brain are you injecting the virus into? And how do you ensure that the virus is going into the correct area? I can’t wait to see what you have in store for next week!
ReplyDeleteSophia Vaidya
I am not interacting with the mice at all, but other people in the lab are injecting the virus into the frontal cortex of the brain. To see if they were injecting the virus into the right part, they first tested their technique by injecting a dye instead of the virus into a mouse's brain. They then sliced the brain to see if the dye was in the right part. This told them their technique was working and they were hitting the right part of the brain, so they could then use the viruses.
DeleteHi Serena! I'm so excited to hear that your second week was fun and interesting. It must have been so exciting being able to actively help in the lab. I was wondering, how does the virus effect the brain, and how does that affect schizophrenia? Also, how does the mice brain compare to the human brain? Would the virus be injected in a similar area? I'm excited to hear about next week!
ReplyDeleteJulie Loison
Viruses reproduce by inserting their DNA into the host's DNA and replicating as the host cell replicates. The lab designed a virus that has a gene that changes the production of serotonin 2A receptors, so when it is injected into the mice they now have a new gene inserted in their DNA. The virus is injected into the frontal cortex of the brain.
DeleteIt is hoped that this new gene will reduce the symptoms of the schizophrenia model mice.
Hi Serena! Sounds like you're having a lot of fun continuing your research. I was wondering what is the importance of sterilizing the pipette tips? Also, what makes pipetting virus sample stressful in your opinion? Thank you!
ReplyDeleteIn general it is always important to have sterile conditions in the lab, but it is particularly important for these pipette tips because they will be used for DNA testing of the mice, and there can't be any contamination from foreign DNA.
DeleteI found pipetting viruses a little stressful because spilling viruses would be very bad.
Hi Serena! it is amazing to hear how excited you are about working in the lab and about the work they are doing! It is great that you are getting so much lab experience! I was wondering how long will you observe the mice that have received the virus in order to see if certain symptoms disappeared? I hope you have another fun and successful week ahead of you, can't wait to see what happens next!
ReplyDeleteI am not personally working with the mice, but the lab is going to do a variety of tests to see if the symptoms have gone away, such as tests of their ability to adapt to novel situations, tests of memory, and aggression tests. I am not sure how long specifically they will wait until the virus takes affect.
DeleteHey Serena! Your research is so interesting, and it seems like you're having a lot of fun. Why is it beneficial to know which mice types have more or less of the EGR3 gene? Would it be analogous to the environments of the people, or is it just to see which genetic markers they have? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThe mice were bred and genetically altered by the lab so that some are normal mice with the EGR3 gene, and some are the schizophrenia model mice with no EGR3 gene. What the lab is looking for is how this gene is activated when the mice are sleep deprived.
DeleteHey Serena! It sounds like the research is really interesting so far! Even though your project hasn't changed, was there any change in the research that lead to your blog title change? I hope the next week goes just as well for you!
ReplyDeleteNo, I just realized I wanted to focus on the fact that animals such as these mice can be used to model conditions like schizophrenia.
DeleteHey Serena, I'm glad to hear you had a fun and eventful week. I think it's really interesting that your experience in the lab has led you to edit your project proposal. While working in the lab, do you have any hands-on experience with the mice? How many tubes did you fill with the virus? Can't wait to see your progress!
ReplyDeleteI can't actually go into the room with the mice because working with the mice requires special certifications.
DeleteFor the virus, I filled about twelve vials, each with 10 microliters, which is basically just the size of a drop of water. Each of these will be injected into a mouse's brain.
Hey Serena, it's great that you have been gaining a lot of hands on experience in the lab! Have there been any unexpected occurrences with the mice that you are testing? Has any one of them shown a sign of so thing that you hadn't expected to happen?
ReplyDeleteWell I can't interact with the mice because that requires extra certifications, so I have not been able to see the mice. However, one of the people in the lab who does work with the mice said an unexpected occurrence with the schizophrenia model mice is that the mothers are more likely to cannibalize their offspring than normal mice. So that is an unpleasant but interesting occurrence.
DeleteFascinating week! I'm curious, What is the lifespan of the mice that you work with in the lab?
ReplyDeleteI am not sure what the average lifespan is for these mice. I do know that the adult females have a litter every few weeks and can have several litters. Normal pet mice can live a year or two, but these mice are humanely killed after they get past the age where they can reproduce. The lab does not want age to be a third confounding variable changing the results of their experiments.
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