One of the mot amusing things about working in this lab is the strange dynamic between those currently working here (I say here because I'm currently writing in the lab... 5 more minutes until I need to transfer chemicals to the next step of the protocol...) It's run, like any independent trade from 18th century literature, by a Boss and her apprentices. Mine is an expert in her field, with many years of experience documented through tons of published works. However, she continues to grow and refine her techniques. She has two post-Doctorates, who conduct their own research, but still collaborate with the Boss frequently solicit for advice.
One of the post-Docs is currently conducting tests of early life stress on later working memory in rats. She creates early life stress by separating pups (baby rats) from their mothers for 4 hours/day. The effect will later be tested in a maze "wing shift," which will calculate the effectiveness of their working memory. (Our maze is an 8 arm radial maze like the one featured in the picture, though without all the doohickeys on top.)
The other post-Doc is conducting a "delayed discounting" task. Rats are trained to choose between one snack immediately, or four snacks if they can control their impulse.
My underling status is shared by another undergraduate from Holy Cross, and a recent graduate of Wheaton College. Holy Cross is testing rats given 6-hydroxy-dopamine, which decreases dopamine levels in the cortex, leading to ADHD behaviors. Wheaton is testing OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) behavior in rats, through demonstrations of anxiety, compulsive checking, etc. This is all mediated by D2 dopamine receptors! Woo science!
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