Through layers of specialized neurons called photoreceptors, bipolar cells, and ganglion cells, the retina detects light and transmits visual information to the brain. The retina has millions of neuron connections known as synapses. Microglia, which are immune cells of the nervous system, help maintain synaptic integrity. High-acuity color vision depends on cone photoreceptors, which form specialized synapses that swiftly release neurotransmitters to downstream bipolar neurons upon stimulation by light. Zebrafish are an excellent model for studying retinal synapses due to the structural and cellular similarity of their retinas to human retinas, as both have cone-dominant vision. The Mitchell lab previously used electroretinograms (ERGs) to analyze retinal function in microglia-sufficient and microglia-deficient larval zebrafish. These experiments indicate that microglia deficiency alters retinal function through a disruption in the typical time-of-day based changes exhibited by zebrafish. To address these alterations, I studied synaptic scaffolding proteins in microglia-sufficient and -deficient zebrafish retinal tissue at various times of day. I used confocal microscopy to analyze potential differences in synapse scaffold proteins and cone photoreceptor morphology. My results show that microglia-sufficient zebrafish may have less RIBEYE scaffolding protein in the afternoon when compared to the morning. Microglia-deficient zebrafish showed similar amounts of RIBEYE in both morning and afternoon. Cone outer segments appeared longer in microglia-deficient zebrafish in both morning and afternoon when compared to microglia-sufficient zebrafish, and microglia-deficient zebrafish showed increased levels of cone arrestin staining in outer segments in both morning and afternoon; however, additional analysis needs to be done to confirm these results. Cone outer segment length and arrestin staining will be analyzed further by the Mitchell lab. This work can provide new insights into how microglia regulate synaptic processes between cone photoreceptors and their partner retinal neurons.
Abstract Companies face unprecedented challenges in today’s ever-changing business landscape due to global expansion, technological advancements, and evolving consumer preferences. As a result, businesses are adopting various supply chain and operational strategies and tactics to stay competitive, which is often demonstrated in the company’s financial performance. This research uses ten years of longitudinal firm-level data …
Hello and welcome! Thank you for your interest in my project: Industrial Hemp, Cannabis sativa, as a Natural Fiber Alternative to Synthetic Fishing Nets and Lines! With most fishing nets being made of plastics, it is an issue for marine life who tend to get caught up in them or consume them. Looking for a …
AbstractThe innovative field of biometrics has existed for more than a century in the medical and sports fields.In the athletic domain, biometric data are the measurements of physical and physiological informationfor assessment of performance and recovery in sports. Much of the existing biometric-based researchfrom the United State has been conducted on primarily on men which …
Background The Nelder-Mead algorithm is used to find the smallest value of a function. The algorithm first evaluates the function at a set of points, called the simplex. Then the algorithm replaces the worst point with a new point generated via a geometric reflection of the worst point through the simplex. The most basic movement …
Abstract The Northern Idaho Ground Squirrel (Urocitellus brunneus) is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The prevailing hypothesis for the species decline is encroachment of trees into its habitat due to fire suppression. However, this hypothesis has not been rigorously tested. Using geographic information systems and aerial imaging, I compared changes in abundance …
Creepy, dirty, disease-ridden, blood-sucking pests. This is the description that come to mind for most people when they think about bats. So, why would anyone want to study bats? The truth is that bats are incredibly important to many ecosystems world-wide. Bats eat insects that carry diseases which means they serve as a natural insect …
Abstract Phage therapy and antibiotics have been used in treating bacterial infections for nearly a century. However, bacterial mutations over time have allowed bacteria to advance in fitness and, in turn, resistance to these treatments. In this experiment we evolve phage-resistant bacteria to observe the mutations present on a genomic level. Pairing these observations with …