PharmaTox Skill-swap session

The first PharmaTox Skill-swap event was hosted by the Neurobiology and Toxicology laboratory of Professor Ragnhild Elisabeth Paulsen, where resident PhD-student Nils Anders Labba toured the laboratory and showcased the methods and model systems employed in their work. The Neurobiology and Toxicology laboratory is a classic wetlab where biochemical and molecular biological methodology is used to investigate the potential neurotoxic or neuroprotective effects of pharmaceuticals and environmental toxicants. The lab specializes in using the brain of the chicken embryo as a model system for early human brain development, but also employs immortalized cell lines such as the rat pheochromocytoma-derived PC12 line. PharmaTox students and supervisors were introduced to basic concepts and methodology in laboratory work and toxicological testing prior to being toured around the labs to join in on practical tasks such as transillumination of chicken embryos, cell microscopy, and the preparation of neuronal culture from chicken brains. It was a great experience for all who attended!