This October the Zebrafish Labs were very happy to be able to restart the Zebrafish Academy, after being forced to postpone it during the pandemic. We invited eight excellent A-level students into the Zebrafish Lab to learn about the many different strands of research at UCL that use Danio rerio as an animal model.
The weeklong programme involved hands on practical work ranging from microinjections to gene detection expression methods such as in situ hybridisation. Along the way, the students learnt about developmental biology, genetics and transgenesis, and the biology around behaviours such as sleep, hunting and sociality. They liked experiencing a research lab environment and looked very comfortable in it, taking to using the microscopes and pipettes with confidence. They worked well as teams to successfully complete the practical protocols and analyse the results.
We also continued our mentoring programme that we launched in 2019. This programme gives the students an opportunity for a more in-depth discussion and greater insight into life as a scientist and the next steps after their A-levels.
Finally, the Academy members presented their work and their experiences during the week to members of the Zebrafish Lab in very inventive and entertaining ways, with excellent quizzes, drawings and surprise reveals!
We really enjoyed hosting our Zebrafish Academy and were glad to have an enthusiastic and inquisitive cohort this year. We wish them all the best in their exams and good luck for their future careers!To learn more about our Zebrafish Academy click on the button below.
