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Establishing a Zebrafish Laboratory Exercise to be Used in a Course‐Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) in Introductory Biology
Author(s) -
Bruton Laura,
Gruber Alex,
Kalo Kadijah,
Morrissette Jeffrey
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.752.7
Subject(s) - zebrafish , danio , fish <actinopterygii> , biology , population , medicine , fishery , genetics , environmental health , gene
Zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) are biological model organisms as they are a predictive model for human diseases and development. They are also an excellent teaching tool. At Lawrence Technological University, we are establishing a population of zebrafish of all ages for the purpose of using them in a course‐based undergraduate research experience in a first‐year biology course. We have purchased a stand‐alone, portable, zebrafish “E‐Rack” from Aquaneering (San Diego, CA), which is composed of eight 1.8 L and five 2.8 L tanks. Using this system, we have been able to maintain stable water quality that has allowed us to successfully house, mate, and rear zebrafish to adulthood. We use a single pair mating procedure to obtain fertilized eggs each week that can grow to adulthood in approximately 12 weeks. We are presently designing the laboratory procedures using larval zebrafish to introduce an authentic research experience into our freshman introductory biology laboratory course. One key advantage of larval zebrafish is their transparency which allows for easy viewing of the heart and blood vessels with a low‐power light microscope. In this CURE, students will perform a cardiotoxicity assay by first lightly anesthetizing one‐month‐old larval fish. Students will then measure and record fish heart rates under the microscope. Next, they will add a variety of compounds of their own choosing to test their potential cardiotoxic effects based on observed changes to heart rate and contractility. We will have students begin with known effectors of heart rate such as nicotine and caffeine, and then move on to testing their unknowns. At the end of the course, students will produce research posters which they will present at Lawrence Tech's Research Day conference and/or other local and national conferences. We will determine the effectiveness of this new teaching strategy using the established Classroom Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) survey administered by Dr. David Lopatto at Grinnell University. Support or Funding Information Lawrence Technological University Quest Program Lawrence Technological University Natural Sciences Department