Molecular Updates for Chicken and Zebrafish Embryology Laboratory Exercises

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Undergraduate labs in developmental biology are usually limited to experiments in classical embryology, and the experimental offerings do not include advances made using modern molecular and genetic tools. This project is adapting and implementing methods from the research literature into the undergraduate classroom in two modules. The first module is adapting electroporation technology for chicken embryos, so students can introduce DNA constructs containing molecules that can specify limb type or induce ectopic wing formation. The second module involves introducing morpholinos into zebrafish embryos to reduce translation of specific molecules that affect heart development. The proposed changes update traditional laboratories offered in the Duke course, Experiments in Development and Molecular Genetics, by introducing molecular technology. Because the chickens and zebrafish are widely available and easy to culture, these exercises may have broad appeal for instructors interested in adding molecular technology to developmental biology laboratories. Therefore, descriptions of the exercises are being submitted to educational journals for publication, made available on the web and publicized at meetings. The broader impacts of the project include: the enhancement of faculty development and the integration of research and technology in undergraduate education.