Baltimore, MD (August 1, 2016)

Olivia Spicer, a Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Yonathan Zohar’s lab at IMET, has been studying fish reproduction in zebrafish for many years. Using a variety of molecular techniques, Olivia has managed to purposefully mutate specific hormones in her fish. Using these mutations, she was able to breed fish and screen out individuals with the genetic makeup she desired. This process allowed Olivia to breed more fish with the specific knockouts she was looking for, allowing for further examination of the results of knocking out specific genes. The results were surprising, and Olivia and the rest of the Zohar Lab are excited to continue exploring these genes how they can relate back to human development.