Student Training

Training in the Petersen Lab

Students in the Petersen lab may be trained in the following techniques:

• Zebrafish husbandry and aquaculture
• Molecular biology including PCR, restriction analysis, in vitro transcription
• Microinjection of nucleic acids, including CRISPR/Cas9, into zebrafish embryos
• Pharmacological treatment of zebrafish embryos and larvae
• In situ hybridization and immunostaining of fixed tissue
• Brightfield and fluorescent microscopy of mounted fixed tissue
• In vivo live timelapse imaging of developing neurons and glia
• Primary cell culture of zebrafish neurons and glia
• Preparation of samples for transmission electron microscopy
• Micrograph analysis, quantification, and statistical analysis
• Computational approaches for genomic and mRNA-seq analysis

In addition, Petersen lab members are expected to regularly communicate their work orally and in writing. Students present at lab meetings, in course settings, and at regional or national conferences. Students are also expected to regularly read the scientific literature and explore online resources to develop their ideas.

All students working with zebrafish are required to complete CITI training, read and sign the IACUC and Zebrafish Facility Standard Operating Procedure protocols, and receive in-person training with Dr. Petersen prior to any work with the animals.

If you are interested in working in the Petersen lab, contact Prof. Petersen to discuss your options. For students interested in NEUR/BIOL 385, please note that students generally wait to enroll in NEUR/BIOL 385 after their first semester in the lab.