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Instructions

Student presentations must have a faculty sponsor.

Abstracts must include a title and a description of the research, scholarship, or creative work. The description should be 150-225 words in length and constructed in a format or style appropriate for the presenter’s discipline.

The following points should be addressed within the selected format or style for the abstract:

  • A clear statement of the problem or question you pursued, or the scholarly goal or creative theme achieved in your work.
  • A brief comment about the significance or uniqueness of the work.
  • A clear description of the methods used to achieve the purpose or goals for the work.
  • A statement of the conclusions, results, outcomes, or recommendations, or if the work is still in progress, the results you expect to report at the event.

Presenter photographs should be head and shoulder shots comparable to passport photos.

Additional Information

More information is available at carthage.edu/celebration-scholars/. The following are members of the Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Committee who are eager to listen to ideas and answer questions:

  • Jun Wang
  • Kim Instenes
  • John Kirk
  • Nora Nickels
  • Andrew Pustina
  • James Ripley

Measuring Functional Recovery in Larval Zebrafish

Name: Rebecca Fales
Major: Neuroscience
Hometown: Avon, IN
Faculty Sponsor: Steven Henle
Other Sponsors:  
Type of research: Independent research

Name: Ashley Gorman
Major: Data Science
Hometown: Mount Pleasant, WI
Faculty Sponsor: Steven Henle
Other Sponsors:  
Type of research: Independent research

Abstract

Regrowth of damaged neurons within the central nervous system is largely impossible in humans, yet zebrafish are capable of neuronal regeneration. Measuring how well zebrafish have recovered from an optic nerve injury is difficult, thus it is a task to figure out how the process of neuronal regeneration works on a functional level. To better understand how neuroregeneration works in zebrafish, we can measure the optokinetic response (OKR), a reflexive movement that allows organisms to smoothly track movement, which can measure if vision has been functionally recovered after injury. To measure an OKR, fish are placed inside a drum with rotating walls with stripes on them. Video is captured and eye angles are measured, using analysis software such as Stytra, which outputs numeric data based on our recordings. We have recorded video of OKR assays in larval zebrafish, and we are currently working to quantify our results so that we can visualize the rate at which the OKR occurs. We are also working to refine the OKR protocol to work more consistently with larval fish. We are focusing on larval zebrafish because they are still transparent, which allows easier and quicker visualization of neural regeneration. If we improve our understanding of neuronal regeneration in zebrafish, we may eventually be able to apply these findings to humans in order to treat nervous system injuries.


Poster file

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