Laamar Cunningham

SCHOOL: Alcorn State University    MAJOR: Biology/Pre-Med    MENTOR: Dr. Steven D'surney    GRADUATION DATE: May 2000    ORGANIZATIONS & HONORS: Afficionado Men's Club  Honors Student Organization Pre-Med Club Biology Club Beta Beta Beta Alpha Kappa Mu    Home Town: Saint Louis, MO    High School: Jennings Senior High

Zebrafish (Danio "Brachydanio" Rerio) development stages and mortality rates will be examined using copper sulfate (CuSO4) as a referent toxicant.  Zebrafish were chosen because of the ease of maintenance and minimal time required for reproduction.  The Zebrafish are photoperiodic, they mate at first daylight.  The developing embryos will be exposed for 48hrs with 0, 250, 333, 416, and 500 vg/L of copper sulfate in replicate.  Data for temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, mortality, water hardness, conductivity, alkalinity, copper analysis and developmental abnormalities will be recorded.  Larva DNA extraction methods will be developed.

Copper sulfate in previous experiments was lethal in large concentrations, and minimal in smaller concentrations.  The LD 50 (lethal dosage @ 50%) was, ~400 vg/L, between 250 vg/L CuSO4 and 500 vg/L CuSO4.  In previous experiments, it was hypothesized that genotype of the surviving zebrafish was a factor in their survival.  What the research will do is score the RARD (Rapid Amplified Polymorphic DNA) genetic markers for the control versus CuSO4 survivors.
(v = micro)