
Gabriela Rennebeck-Oliveira, Ph.D.
- Lecturer , Biology
I am the Laboratory Coordinator for the Introductory Biology Laboratory Series (BIOL1111 & 1212). BIOL 1111 "Introductory Biology Laboratory" is followed by BIOL 1212 "Methods for Biological Problem Solving" (Spring semester). In BIOL1111 labs, students learn how to communicate in the field of sciences, how to design scientific experiments, how to collect data, how to analyze and present these data in a scientific format. Subsequently, BIOL 1212 provides students with opportunities to learn a variety of skills in basic laboratory techniques and the prospect of performing experiments in different areas of Biology, such as Animal Behavior, Physiology, Molecular Biology and Animal Physiology.
Besides teaching and coordinating the first year Biology labs, I'm starting a research project that involves the characterization of quaking gene in zebrafish embryonic development. Quaking is an RNA-binding protein that is highly conserved in humans, frogs, chicken, zebrafish, and flies. Quaking primordial function originated in the mesoderm more specifically in the regulation of cardiac and muscle development. Quaking function evolved in the nervous system, particularly in developing glial progenitors. Biology/Psychology/Neurobiology recently acquired a zebrafish unit system (Aquaneering) to maintain zebrafish wild type and mutant stocks for research and teaching purposes
I am part of the Biology team assigned to the HHMI Trinity University's Howard Hughes Medical Institute Program.