Reference: Maria I. Arnone
Laboratory dedicated to the study of embryonic development of marine organisms, including functional analysis of gene regulatory networks.
It includes areas for molecular biology and in situ hybridization, microinjection and electroporation of zygotes.
It also includes classic and basic biological laboratory equipments.
Systems for experiments
DevBio Lab uses different model organisms such as ascidians (Ciona, Molgula), sea urchins (Paracentrotus, Strongylocentrotus), sea stars (Patiria), amfioxus (Branchistoma) and fishes (Danio).
The lab carries it activities in collaboration with units Meda e MaRe for collecting, rearing and keeping these organisms.
Analysis
- Spatial and temporal study of gene expression during embryonic development by in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, Real Time qPCR (in collaboration with Mb&Bi unit), western blots.
- Disruption of gene expression (knock-out, knock-down, overexpression and transgenesis) by microinjection (antisense oligonucleotides, RNA) or elecroporation (DNA).
- gene expression and morphofunctional analysis fenotipi ottenuti.
Equipments
- Systems for microinjection (microscopes, including stereo and inverted microscopes) in sea urchins, sea squirts and fish.
- Electroporation in eukaryotic cells.
- Stereomicroscopes for observation and manipulation of embryos.
- Cells thermostated (at various temperatures) for the culture of embryos and larvae.
- Microscopes equipped with high-resolution cameras for spatial analysis of gene expression.
- Analysis of movement to characterize behavioral phenotypes.
