Major

Biology

Access Type

Open Access

Abstract

Investigating tissue-specific gene expression first requires RNA isolation. This research seeks to develop and optimize multiple methods of RNA extraction from blood and gonadal tissues in several different avian species, including house sparrows (Passer domesticus) and northern jacanas (Jacana spinosa). Method variations include RNAlater vs. flash freezing tissue, homogenizer vs. bashing beads, phase separation vs. Zymo kit, and various temperature and time settings for incubation. Establishing effective methods for avian investigation of RNA will allow us to research how differential gene expression relates to phenotypic behaviors.

Faculty Mentors & Instructors

Sara E. Lipshutz, PhD, Department of Biology; Quinn Thomas, MS

Supported By

Dr. Johanna Harvey

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

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Developing and Optimizing RNA Isolation Methods from Avian Tissues

Investigating tissue-specific gene expression first requires RNA isolation. This research seeks to develop and optimize multiple methods of RNA extraction from blood and gonadal tissues in several different avian species, including house sparrows (Passer domesticus) and northern jacanas (Jacana spinosa). Method variations include RNAlater vs. flash freezing tissue, homogenizer vs. bashing beads, phase separation vs. Zymo kit, and various temperature and time settings for incubation. Establishing effective methods for avian investigation of RNA will allow us to research how differential gene expression relates to phenotypic behaviors.