One Fish. Two Fish. Red Fish. Purple Fish?
I have always loved evolution and genetics since first learning about it many years ago. Lessons on Charles Darwin and his Theory of Evolution and the genetics behind designer babies intrigued me enough to pursue a future career in science. To start gaining some experience using wet lab techniques, I joined Dr. Stock鈥檚 fish lab my first semester of college and fell in love with all of it. Being taken seriously as a researcher-in-training increased my confidence and pushed me further into this field.
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Currently, I am conducting research for an honors thesis on the candidate genes responsible for scale and scute development using an in situ hybridization. In this process, the samples of fish are stained a purple color to visually analyze where the chosen genes are expressed. In this lineage of fish, they had scales, lost them, and regained scutes/body armor. I hope to answer if the same genes are expressed in scaled zebrafish, absent in the 鈥渘aked鈥� channel catfish, and redeployed in the scutes of armored catfish. Finding out if these genes are conserved is important in understanding the purpose of specific genes and to lead to further research into the mechanisms behind how it occurred through evolution.
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After my time here at CU, I plan to further my education in hopes of becoming a professor one day. Not only will I continue to add knowledge to the science community, but I will be able to share my love of science with the next generation of fish enthusiasts.
