Antibody Hunters: Lab Edition
Sophia D -
Hi everyone, welcome back to my blog! This week at the lab, I spent my time doing training and finding antibodies for my project!
It might sound like a slow week, but the training gave me very important insight into how animal surgeries are conducted in accordance with IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee). IACUC makes sure that animal studies are conducted humanely and that the animal studies are necessary for producing data and an alternative model (such as a computer model) cannot be used. I learned differences in anatomy and physiology of mice and rats of which I found it most interesting that mice and rats cannot vomit. I also learned how to identify if an animal is properly anesthetized and cues that an animal may be in distress so I can get the proper care for the animal.
I also spent much of this week finding antibodies for my project! My project seems to be taking a turn towards studies on volumetric muscle loss (VML). I am hoping to document the healing process of mice skeletal muscles that have been injured by determining the types of proteins that are present at each stage of healing. I am searching for antibodies that will tag satellite cells, myosin heavy chain (MHC), and collagen. Satellite cells indicate that the healing process is starting because there is increased activity in the area of injury. MHC indicates the state of the muscle’s function. Collagen marks the stage of healing that the muscle is in.
Aside from my training and search for antibodies, I got to image samples with fluorescent immunohistochemistry (check out my third blog), officially got access to the lab with my Catcard, and went on another coffee run with my lab mentors!
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