Research Projects

Experimental preparation

We use the embryos and larvae of zebrafish (Danio rerio) to help answer our questions. We use zebrafish embryos because they have several very important characteristics that make it relatively easy for us to study the development of the nervous system.

1) They are optically clear, allowing us to see internal tissues.

2) They develop very quickly, so we don't have to wait for a long time to study aspects of development.

3) The adult females lay many eggs on a regular basis so we have a large supply of embryos and larvae to study. The animals that we study are between 20 and 96 hours post fertilization (hpf). Many major developmental processes take place between these time periods.

Experimental procedures

We use the techniques of patch-clamp electrophysiology and immunohistochemistry to study neuro-development.

Patch clamping allows us to record electrical currents that cross neuronal membranes through ionotropic receptors and ion channels channels. We use different modes of patch-clamping (cell-attached, whole-cell and outside-out configurations) to determine the channel and neuronal activity.

Immunohistochemistry allows us to detect various different kinds of neurotransmitters and receptors that are present in the nervous system of young zebrafish.