[Past Projects]
Dr. Brian Bagatto and Jen Piechowski
Electronic cigarettes have been in use for over a decade and there is little known about their potential health implications, particularly on embryonic development. We are looking to understand the impact vaping has on cardiovascular development using zebrafish embryos as a model for human embryonic vapor exposure. Zebrafish are a common model organism used in vertebrate developmental research. They are easily maintained, have short developmental time frames, and typically produce large numbers of offspring from a single breeding event. In addition, zebrafish offer the ability to view the developing heart noninvasively, via microscope, due to their lack of body pigmentation during early development. Videos of the beating heart and vasculature can then be recorded and cardiovascular measurements obtained. We are currently seeking one undergraduate student to assist with this project as part of the Tiered Mentoring Program in Biology.
Click here for more information on Dr. Bagatto’s lab.