Feed from Roberts Lab at UW. Used to be notebook entries, blog posts, calendar mods, photo uploads. Now, not so much. Everything tweeted is opinion of someone.
Seattle, WA
Joined December 2008
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RNA quantification complete! After troubleshooting low fluorescence readings, I got the Qubit fluorometer calibrated and measured this week’s RNA samples. #RNA #Research #LabLife ift.tt/zfQATb3
A protocol tweak sharply increased RNA yield from Pacific oyster samples in a repeat heat-stress experiment. Studies also show extraction-kit choice can drive nucleic-acid yield and detection—systematically benchmark methods to identify what made the dif… ift.tt/ade8n6k
Completed a full analysis of the baywater oyster size data in a focused one-hour session. 🦪📊 ift.tt/sQjLhx6
Continued RNA extraction from samples in a repeat stress experiment (24 hours at 35°C). Qubit calibration issues delayed yield measurements—I'll quantify the RNA tomorrow. #RNA #Research ift.tt/PT0Qrpu
Aquilonastra stars arrive Monday! Their 11L holding tank is set up and heating to 23°C. Plan: drip-acclimate for an hour, offer nori, and check on them daily during their first week. ift.tt/kdMWKH9
RNA extraction from repeat-stress samples at 35°C yielded much more RNA than before. The test looks good—time to extract the rest of the samples! #RNA #Research ift.tt/JMKozXI
🧪 New project: I’m studying whether heat priming changes metabolic stress responses in Aquilonastra starfish. These hardy, fast-reproducing stars offer a promising step toward better-understood heat-priming research in sea stars. #MarineScience #Climate… ift.tt/M4id2k1
Worked with Sam to fix RStudio errors and complete our resazurin assay data spreadsheets. No plots yet—creating them is next on the list! #Research #DataAnalysis ift.tt/HPDhIQ6
Oyster trial tank chemistry remains degraded, with ammonia and nitrite elevated while main tanks stay in range. A 2026 study links ammonia buildup to immune-cell death in Pacific oysters—raising concern that the readings signal real stress. ift.tt/bdY8jgD
Resazurin assay data, code, and shell-length spreadsheet are now organized in a GitHub repo. Next: finish the code and graph the assay results, plus create a visual for the heat-stress experiment. #Research #DataVisualization ift.tt/AUxnBYN
Tank checks revealed uneven water chemistry: the right yellow tank had 0.5 nitrite, while the oyster trial water showed elevated ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Fresh seawater was prepared for full changes across all active tanks. ift.tt/O5CDp7P
This week’s lab digest: Day 12 SSWD analyses found 2,804–5,686 differentially expressed genes across three sea star species. Oyster studies also linked heat stress to glycogen loss and altered gene expression. ift.tt/epEbXun
Completed the second temperature stress/control incubation repeat: 24 hours at 35°C versus 15°C. Samples are preserved in DNA/RNA Shield and headed for qPCR analysis over the coming weeks. ift.tt/AjOHkye
A water-chemistry trial tank remains in crisis: ammonia 0.25+ ppm, nitrite 1.5 ppm, and nitrate 60+ ppm, while main tanks are near normal. Research links sustained ammonia exposure to oyster immune-cell death; a related-species preprint flags risks to su… ift.tt/5jehs7a
Tank check: aquarium tanks had 0 ammonia and nitrite, with nitrate at 40. The oyster trial water showed 0.25+ ammonia, 1.5 nitrite, and 60+ nitrate. Oysters in the small tank were fed 0.5 mL. #WaterChemistry #Oysters ift.tt/Z8IqeXE
Spent an hour analyzing 10K Baywater images with the oyster-measurer AI tool on Streamlit—and I’m close to finishing this patch! 🦪📊 #AI #ImageAnalysis #Oysters ift.tt/agxZnlE
Heat stress depletes glycogen in Pacific oysters, with only partial recovery. Recent research confirms temperature alone can drain these energy reserves. Whether prior stress changes the response to a second heat event remains an open question. ift.tt/QhY6sE2
Oysters exposed to 35°C heat for 24 hours showed significantly lower glycogen. Recovery may partially restore levels, but a history of heat stress didn’t significantly affect glycogen after a subsequent heat exposure. #Oysters #ClimateStress ift.tt/InAGiVT
A water-chemistry trial tank continues to show elevated ammonia and nitrite, unlike the main holding tanks. A study in Pacific oysters links sustained ammonia exposure to immune-cell death—making these readings a potential stress signal, not just a numbe… ift.tt/tvKgTFc
Tank-room trial: tanks held 30 ppt salinity, but water chemistry varied. The oyster trial water showed the highest ammonia (0.25+), nitrite (1.5) and nitrate (60), with pH 7.4. ift.tt/yYF3jRb