ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF SODIUM CHLORATE ON SPINAL CORD NEURONS IN VITRO ZACHARY BAKER Major: Bioengineering Class of 2018
ABOUT THE WORK I began this area of research during an internship in the summer of 2016. During this time, I became skilled at many of the procedures necessary for carrying out this experiment. These include conducting a surgery to extract spinal cord neurons from embryonic mice, culturing these neurons on micro-electrode arrays, feeding these cultures to keep them alive, and recording electrophysiological activity from the neurons. During the fall of 2016 I became interested in researching why spinal cord injuries can result in permanent disability. During my research, I discovered that scar tissue produced in the spinal cord after injury generates elevated levels of chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans, or CSPGs. These CSPGs are shown in many experiments to inhibit neuronal reconnection. I realized that removal or degradation of CSPGs could lead to new discoveries that may help treat paraplegia. After more background research, I read that the chemical sodium chlorate is known to interfere with the natural biosynthesis of CSPGs, stopping their production. Sodium chlorate is a very cheap chemical, and I had the ability to obtain embryonic spinal cord neurons from mice in other ongoing experiments in my lab. I decided to put my research to the test. I wanted to determine how sodium chlorate impacts the reconnection of spinal cord neurons. Unfortunately, I did not have the capability to visually assess spinal cord neurons in my lab. Instead, I developed a protocol for assessing how sodium chlorate impacts the electrophysiological activity of spinal cord neurons. During my experiment, I operated under the assumption that a higher level of electrophysiological activity would correspond to a higher degree of neuronal connectivity. I believe that my experiment re-visions scholarship by showcasing my academic abilities in the sciences, as well as my creativity in experimental design. I created my procedure by re-applying protocols in my lab to test my own hypothesis derived through extensive background research.
90 | THE GEORGE MASON REVIEW