Cell and Developmental Biology Commons^™

Using Crispr/Cas9 Gene Editing To Remove Twist2 To Determine Its Role During Somite Development In Zebrafish, Caleb Holdener

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Embryonic Mesoderm is a precursor to various types of tissues, such as the somatic mesoderm. Somites are a segmented tissue that gives rise to the sclerotome in vertebrates. This sclerotome further develops into the axial skeleton (Stickney, Barresi, and Devoto 2000). Somites are easily observable under low power microscopy during fish development. In fish, great strides have been made in studying the developmental fate of somites (Stoiber, Haslett, and Sänger 1999; Stickney, Barresi, and Devoto 2000). Zebrafish have been studied in many labs due to their similarities with higher vertebrates. These advantages include their inexpensive cost of care, external fertilization, …

Utilizing Crispr/Cas9 Gene Editing Determine The Role Of Cnr1 During Zebrafish Development, Ellis Chase

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

The CRISPR-Cas 9 system is a process used to create mutations, insertions, or deletions within a desired gene. It can be used to create mutant organisms necessary to study the function and impact of a particular gene¹. Cannabinoids are active chemicals found in cannabis, the most common of which being cannabinol (CBD)². Cannabinoid receptors are an integral part of the endocannabinoid system, recognizing cannabinoid signals to promote physiological processes like pain sensation, memory, mood, and appetite³. Studying these cannabinoid receptors can provide insight into how cannabis can affect bodily processes.

Zebrafish are small translucent …

Utilizing Crispr/Cas9 Gene Editing Determine The Role Of Cnr1 During Zebrafish Development, Camme Sells

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

In a world where cannabinoids are being used more frequently as for medicinal purposes, the importance for research on cannabinoid biology is steadily increasing. The goal of this study was to gain a greater understanding of the effect cannabinoids have on developing zebrafish embryos. Work in this area of developmental biology could give way to an understanding of the safety of a human fetus during pregnancy with a mother who uses cannabis medicinal therapy. The CRISPR/Cas 9 system was utilized in this study to genetically edit the zebrafish embryo genome to remove the function of the Cannabinoid Receptor 1 ( …

Twist1b Knockout Generation In Zebrafish Using Crispr-Cas9, Grace Hurley

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

The Twist gene is found in numerous organisms, including humans, mice and zebrafish (Yeo et al., 2009). It is a vital gene in development and is needed for the organism to survive (Yeo et al., 2009). Specifically, the Twist gene family aids in specialization and differentiation of mesodermal cells, telling somites, segmented blocks of mesoderm, what to become (Germanguz et al., 2007). Over time, the Twist gene has duplicated into paralogs, each having differences in their functions (Germanguz et al., 2007). Twist1b is a protein coding gene that is a paralog to the human Twist1 gene (ZFIN, 2020). In zebrafish, …