Overview

Introduction

On the pages listed below you can find most common protocols used in the lab as well as a list of lab duties along with the names of the responsible persons. Please, contact the responsible persons if you have any question, suggestions or troubles.

Axolotl

Feeding

Artemia (Brine shrimp eggs)

Brine shrimp eggs are metabolically inactive and can remain in total stasis for two years while in dry oxygen-free conditions, even at temperatures below freezing. This characteristic is called cryptobiosis meaning "hidden life" (also called diapause). While in cryptobiosis, brine shrimp eggs can survive temperatures of liquid air (−190 °C or −310.0 °F) and a small percentage can survive above boiling temperature (105 °C or 221 °F) for up to two hours.

Once placed in brine (salt) water, the cyst-like eggs hatch within a few hours. The nauplii, or larvae, are less than 0.5 mm in length when they first hatch. Brine shrimp have a biological life cycle of one year, during which they grow to a mature length of around one centimeter on average. This short life span, along with other characteristics such as their ability to remain dormant for long periods, has made them invaluable in scientific research, including space experiments. This ability has also enabled the use of a hybrid of brine shrimp, bred to grow larger and live longer, as Sea-Monkeys.

Hatching preparation

• The following protocol is considered for 15 l solution.
• Switch on the bubbler.
• Take the warm water from the tap and fill it into the container, meanwhile add 325 ml volume of salt (Red Sea Coral pro Salt), when the 15 Ltr. container is filled up the salt should be dissolved already.
• Switch on the heating. And make sure that the light on the top is on.
• Add 50-60 ml full of dried artemia (Stored at 40C) to this.

Keep it like this for 2 days with aeration. And >200 Lux of light.
Usually they hatch within few hours but It is good to keep for 2 days to achieve a good hatching.
During these two days temperature can be 18-200C.
Make sure hatching container is not getting clogged during these two days.

Lab duties

Chemicals

• Antibiotics
• Benzocaine
• Fibronectin
• Gelatine
• Liquid nitrogen
• Primary antibodies
• Secondary antibodies
• Serum immunostaining

Hardware

• Autoclave
• Cryostat
• Dissecting microscopes
• Leica confocal microscope
• Vacuum pumps
• Waterbath

General

• Ordering common stuff
• Heat-shock competent cells

Protocols

Cell culture

• Blastema cells
• Baculovirus titration
• Myoblasts electroporation
• Adhesive cell culture
• Electroporation of blastema cells
• Electroporation of neural epithelia cells (axolotl spinal cord)
• mESC culture/Cyst formation
• Neurosphere culture

Histology

Molecular biology

Booking calendars

Since some pieces of hardware are used intensively it is necessary to book them in advance. The links to the corresponding booking calendars are listed below.

• Fluorescence microscopes
  • Olympus SZX 16
  • Olympus OVK
  • Axio Observer
• Microinjectors and electroporators
  • Electroporator
  • 2nd electroporator
  • Microinjector
  • Stereoscope
• Confocal microscopes
  • Leica LSM
• Cryostats
  • Cryostat 1
  • Cryostat 2