Student Experiences

Chris Goiney - Neurobiology

Chris' Project - I am currently working to characterize two novel Sulfakinin peptides within the Stomatogastric Nervous System (STNS) of the american lobster

My lab examines how rhythmic activities are generated and modulated. We use the crustacean stomatogastric nervous system (STNS) which controls the rhythmic chewing motions made by crustacean stomachs (crabs chew with their stomachs). We use the STNS as a model to understand these rhythmic behaviors because it is far more simple than a human nervous system.

My specific work is to learn more about novel peptides that control this system.

When, how, & why did you get involved in research?

I took a summer class with Dr. Andrew Christie. I love the puget sound beaches and while in Dr. Christie's class, I got to explore these beaches and work with fascinating crab species. I then found out that his lab used these animals for exciting biomedical research. Given my love for the puget sound wildlife and my interest in biomedical research, Dr. Christie's lab was a great fit for me.

This summer, I traveled to Maine to work on a 36 hour circadian rhythm experiment using the green crab. I worked with another undergrad to row an old rust boat across a bay to drag up crab pots every couple hours. This meant spending more than 30 minutes rowing back and forth through giant waves, wind and rain every couple hours. We then dissected the brains from the crabs for processing.

Somewhere after midnight of the first night, we had taken a break to play pirate minigolf, when a thunderstorm struck. We finished our game but due to the rampant lightning, were unable to row the old metal boat back out to the crab pots for our 3 am time-point. The night left me tired, wet, cold, but in the end, it was thrilling to conduct research on the beatiful (but extremely frightening) Maine coast.

What advice would you give to other student?

Enter your research experience with a plan. Work with your research mentor to form such a plan and realize how much work it will take to successully carry out that plan. Don't just go through the motions to check off the "I worked in a lab" box. Also, make sure you do some reading on the field before you get fully involved.

Future Plans

I am working towards a career in academic medicine where I will hopefully work clinically, educate and perform research. I imagine I won't be able to do all these things at once, so I plan to do clinical work and research early on and move towards education in later years.

Acknowledgements

Dr. Christie has been a huge help and source of guidance for me for the last year. Thanks.

Awards and Honors

Research Fellowship for Advanced Undergraduates
Casey endowed biology fund
Mary Gates Undergraduate Research Scholarship

Conferences

Society for Neuroscience in Atlanta - Oct of '06

Publications

Submitted manuscripts

A.E. Christie, K.K. Kutz-Naber, E.A. Stemmler, A. Klein, D.I. Messinger, C.C. Goiney, Y.A. Hsu, L. Li, P.S. Dickinson. Midgut epithelial endocrine cells are a rich source of the neuropeptides APSGFLGMRamide (Cancer borealis tachykinin-related peptide Ia) and GYRKPPFNGSIFamide (Gly1-SIFamide) in the crabs Cancer borealis, Cancer magister and Cancer productus. Submitted and under revision, Journal of Experimental Biology.

Manuscripts in preparation

A.E. Christie, S. Rus, C.C. Goiney, C.M. Smith, D.W. Towle, P.S. Dickinson. Identification and characterization of a cDNA encoding a crustin-like, putative antibacterial peptide from the American lobster Homarus americanus. In preparation.
A.E. Christie, S. Rus, J. Stevens, M. Ma, C.C. Goiney, H.R. Brennan, C.M. Smith, L. Li, D.W. Towle, P.S. Dickinson. Identification and physiological actions of sulfakinins from the American lobster Homarus americanus. In preparation.
A.E. Christie, E.A. Stemmler, H.R. Brennan, C.C. Goiney, B. Peguero, W. Rabacal, D.I. Messinger, C.M. Smith, D.W. Towle and P.S. Dickinson. Mass spectrometric, molecular and anatomical characterization of SIFamide peptides in clawed lobsters and freshwater crayfish (Crustacea, Decapoda, Astacidea): Identification of Val1-SIFamide as a putative genus (Homarus)-specific isoform. In preparation.
A.E. Christie, S. Rus, C. Cashman, H.R. Brennan, C.C. Goiney, E.A. Stemmler, P.S. Dickinson. Molecular and mass spectrometric analysis of orcokinins and orcokinin precursor-related peptides in the American Lobster Homarus americanus. In preparation.
D.I. Messinger, N.M. Day-Bazhaw, E.E. Savage, C.C. Goiney, Y.A Hsu, A.E. Christie. Distribution of neuropeptide Y (NPY)-like immunoreactivity in the stomatogastric nervous system (STNS) and neuroendocrine organs of the crabs Cancer antennarius, Cancer borealis, Cancer gracilis, Cancer irroratus, Cancer magister and Cancer productus. In preparation.

Published Abstracts

H.R. Brennan, C.C. Goiney, V.R. Kotecha, Y.A. Hsu, C.M. Smith, D.W. Towle, A.E. Christie, P.S. Dickinson. Identification of prepro-sulfakinin in the American lobster Homarus americanus. Program No. 129.5. 2006 Neuroscience Meeting Planner. Atlanta, GA: Society for Neuroscience, 2006. Online.
C.R. Easton, C.C. Goiney, C.D. Thouvenel, P.S. Dickinson, A.E. Christie. SIFamide-like immunoreactivity in the central nervous system of the isopod Ligia pallasii is more similar in organization to that of dipteran insects than it is to that of decapod crustaceans. Program No. 129.7. 2006 Neuroscience Meeting Planner. Atlanta, GA: Society for Neuroscience, 2006. Online.
D.I. Messinger, E.A. Bruns, C.C. Goiney, C.R. Easton, Y.A. Hsu, N.M. Day-Bazhaw, E.E. Savage, E.A. Stemmler, P.S. Dickinson, A.E. Christie. Identification and distribution of pEGFYSQRYamide: a crab neuropeptide Y (NPY)-like peptide. Program No. 129.8. 2006 Neuroscience Meeting Planner. Atlanta, GA: Society for Neuroscience, 2006. Online.
C.C. Goiney, H.R. Brennan, C. Cashman, B. Peguero, W. Rabacal, D.I. Messinger, C.R. Easton, Y.A. Hsu, C.M. Smith, D.W. Towle, E.A. Stemmler, P.S. Dickinson, A.E. Christie. VYRKPPFNGSIFamide is a genus (Homarus)-specific isoform within the SIFamide peptide family. Program No. 129.9. 2006 Neuroscience Meeting Planner. Atlanta, GA: Society for Neuroscience, 2006. Online.
C.R. Cashman, E.A. Stemmler, N.A. Horvath, S. Rus, C.C. Goiney, D.I. Messinger, Y.A. Hsu, H.R. Brennan, A.E. Christie, P.S. Dickinson. Diversity of orcokinin family peptides among the decapod crustaceans: sequences and distributions across infraorders. Program No. 129.11. 2006 Neuroscience Meeting Planner. Atlanta, GA: Society for Neuroscience, 2006. Online.