Winz, Cassandra: The Effects Of Pesticide Exposure On Behavioral Changes And Microglia Morphology In Zebrafish

 

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Title: The Effects Of Pesticide Exposure On Behavioral Changes And Microglia Morphology In Zebrafish

Name: Cassandra Winz

Major: biochemistry conc. toxicology

School affiliation: School of Environmental and Biological Sciences

Programs: Aresty – Research or Conference Funding Recipient

Other contributors: Michelle Bilotti, Savannah Dziepak, Victoria DiBona, Lori White, Keith Cooper

Abstract: Our lab aims to link pesticide and environmental toxins with changes in the activation states of microglia, as well as identify key behavioral changes that occur at similar doses. Using a zebrafish model, we have performed dose response studies on the selected toxins as well as morphometric analysis to identify doses where physical changes begin to appear in the fish. In these experiments, we have seen huge increases in yolk sack and pericardial sack area, and decreases in body length with increasing doses. We have also determined LC50 values and created dose response curves for our tested compounds. However, behavioral and even cellular changes begin to occur far before the lowest observed adverse effect levels (LOAELs) calculated from our dose response curves. Using behavior studies, we are able to link the changes in microglia morphology at the cellular level to the first observable effects of neuronal damage in the organism’s behavior.