| Affiliations: | Neuroscience Research Leadership |
| Project Leader: | Frank Jalufka fjalufka@bio.tamu.edu Biology |
| Faculty Mentor: | Dylan McCreedy, Ph.D. |
|
Meeting Times:
|
TBD |
|
Team Size:
|
4
|
| Open Spots: | 0 |
|
Special Opportunities:
|
Students will gain experience in scientific communication through presentations of their findings in poster or oral form at local research symposiums and at our weekly lab meetings. Potential for co-authorship on publications is possible depending on level of involvement. Students will gain experience in a variety of biological and imaging techniques in a friendly, collaborative environment
|
|
Team Needs:
|
Students will work with rodent models of spinal cord injury and use optical tissue clearing and image analysis techniques to analyze data. Basic understanding of biology is required. Online training through CITI program/traintraq and animal handling in-person training through the comparative medicine program will be required after joining. Undergraduates must be available to work in lab at least 10 hours per week |
|
Description:
|
Following traumatic spinal cord injury, neutrophils are an important part of the immediate immune response. This early infiltration of neutrophils into the lesion site has been shown to be both beneficial as well as detrimental to long term recovery. Neutrophils are believed to peak in concentration within the spinal cord within the first 24 hours following injury, but if there are other timepoints of infiltration and where neutrophils go within the spinal cord following infiltration is unknown. The goal of this project is to use optical tissue clearing to visualize the infiltrating populations of neutrophils after injury and quantify their location within the spinal cord at various timepoints after injury in order to provide a detailed view of the spatial temporal dynamics of neutrophils |