Hi again!

We are now over halfway through the fall semester and only two weeks left until Thanksgiving Break. With thesis deadlines looming and last minute exams/papers being given it is likely to be a busy couple of weeks!

I have moved on to a new and exciting project for thesis. After completing microinjection and gene expression analysis of Nfe2 at 24hpf, I found five of the genes I have been focusing on over the semester to be significantly different from their controls. In all cases of significance I found expression to be higher in the presence of Nfe2 knockdown. This indicates that in natural environments the nfe2 gene in zebrafish functions as a repressor to these genes. Therefore my next goal is to perform in situ hybridization, which will indicate exactly where my genes of interest are being expressed within the zebrafish.

Currently, I am working on testing the function of my primers that will be used in the in situ protocol. As with any scientific research, I have run into a few problems during this process and I am working out a few kinks before continuing with my research. I look forward to a change in schedule with the coming semester and further work with the fish!

Allison