Happy Fourth of July everyone! Our research has begun to build a vision for the rest of the summer! Over the first week we learned a lot about general and barnacle embryology. Having enough knowledge now, I have created my question that I will be focusing on for the rest of the summer. Is there a pattern that arises in regards to pro-nuclear meeting as well as where does the sperm enter the egg? To further explain, after a sperm and egg meet, the DNA of both must combine to create the young barnacle embryo. I am trying to learn about how these two groups of DNA find each other within the cell. We have and will continue fluorescent tagging these young embryos to see the DNA and microtubules and look at them under a confocal microscope. The microscope combined with the staining allows us to find and see specific parts of the embryos at specific depths through the embryo. By collecting a large amount of images from post fertilization to the first division the cell creates, we can analyze the images and describe what patterns are apparent and why they are doing what they do. Outside of the lab, we have been learning a lot about the local marine community by visiting the tide pools at low tide! As it is always fun to see the species that everyone knows, such as the starfish and sea urchins, it is outstanding how much life you would step right over without ever knowing its there. Limpets, Gum Boot Chiton, and Leather Back Chiton just to state a few new species I met. This cove have recently been overrun by sea urchins! The sea star populations have decreased due to the sea star wasting disease. The sea stars are a predator of the urchins, so a lack of sea stars have lead to a booming population of urchins. That's why you can see such a large field of purple urchins in this cove. In my free time this week, I have been visiting the beaches near Coos Bay. Especially towards sunset when the weather is nice, I enjoy sitting down near the water and either playing my guitar or watching the waves. I try to go to differing beaches every time, but these two spots are my favorite to revisit. For the weekend of the fourth, I was lucky enough to go home back to Illinois and see my family. Many of my cousins, aunts, and uncles came from out of town for a nice relaxing weekend. We were able to have a barbeque and celebrate my grandfather's birthday! I am excited to be back now and ready to continue trying to answer the questions we have regarding barnacle embryology.
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AuthorHello I am Gina Magro, currently attending University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. I am studying Biology with a minor in French as a senior this fall. Archives
August 2022
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