Research Publications
See our publications here.
Carter Lab research; investigating impact of genetic and environmental factors on brain development and function
We are investigating questions involving molecular biology and neuroscience. We use zebrafish in our experiments to investigate these types of questions:
*How do environmental factors associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) affect brain development? We currently are studying the biological impact of chemicals associated with ASD from public health data and epidemiological studies. *How may environmental contaminants affect brain formation and function? We are interested in understanding cellular impacts of freshwater contaminants in Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region. *How do gene-environment interactions influence developmental neurotoxicity? We are using CRISPR techniques to alter gene function and explore their impact during brain development. *How does early life stress affect brain development? In a collaboration with Mayo Clinic colleagues, we are asking questions about cortisol regulation and adverse childhood experiences. |
Why zebrafish?Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are a small freshwater fish that have become a powerful model system in biomedical research. They have a number of technical advantages for investigating questions involving early development in a live organism. Zebrafish have rapid early development, progressing from a single cell embryo to a larval fish in a few days. Our approach is to measure different levels of biology to characterize changes due to factors of interest (molecular changes (DNA/RNA), body formation, and behavior). The zebrafish enables this mutli-level approach; watching a fish embryo develop can be inspiring!
Video: development of an alpha-bungarotoxin immobilized zebrafish embryo over first 3+ days of life (timer in lower right = HH:MM:SS). This clip is a sped-up version of the original movie, which was generated by Ian Swinburne and colleagues (2015 PLoS ONE paper)
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Research Teams
Science is a collaborative process, and we approach our projects in teams who learn and apply specific lab techniques. Together we investigate research questions at multiple levels of analysis.
Scope TeamWe work on treating zebrafish with chemicals and phenotyping the resulting embryonic development. Students use qualitative phenotyping as well as quantitative measures with software analysis. Our team is experts in chemical titrations and microscopy!
Vision TeamOur team works on assessing the effects of control and chemical variables on zebrafish behavior, such as development of swimming. Our team uses advanced animal tracking technology and analytical software!
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Mutant TeamWe create and characterize genetically-modified zebrafish to help determine the molecular mechanisms underlying neurotoxicity. Our team use a number of techniques, including RNA synthesis, microinjection, and CRISPR-Cas9 reagents!
Gene Expression TeamWe measure gene expression (mRNA levels) as a molecular output of brain function. We track baseline expression across development and changes due to chemical treatments. Our team uses molecular biology techniques, including RNA isolation, reverse transcription, and quantitative PCR!
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