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Current studies focus on the expression of the insulin receptor on T cells and whether alterations in the expression of this receptor in response to glucose and/or insulin might facilitate pancreatic T cell infiltration and consequently, Β cell death. Special attention is also given to the role of cytokines in modulating the expression of the insulin reception on MOLT-4 T cells.
The following techniques are currently used in the laboratory: two, three and four color immunophenotyping, quantitative flow cytometry, cell culture, ELISA, cell image analysis, western blot analysis, transient and stable transfections, PCR, and basic microscopy techniques.
The following techniques are currently used in the laboratory: two, three and
four color immunophenotyping, quantitative flow cytometry, cell culture,
ELISA, cell image analysis, western blot analysis, transient and stable
transfections, PCR, and basic microscopy techniques.
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Transgenic fish (i.e. zebrafish Danio (Brachydanio) rerio are being used as a model organism for genomics research and developmental biology due to its prolific reproduction and external development of the transparent embryo. Although Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) variants have been used as a genetic marker in transgenic zebrafish, there is no evidence for the study of these variants in the pink convict cichlid fish Cryptoheros (Archocentrus) nigrofasciatus. In order to develop this new model, our research laboratory is conducting feasibility studies in which three different mutant forms of GFP including a blue and red variant are 
microinjected into fertilized eggs of pink convict cichlid. For comparison, zebrafish are also microinjected with the same mutant forms. At present, we have developed and validated the procedures related to microinjecting GFP mutant forms to visualize the expression of proteins by fluorescence microscopy in the pink convict cichlid fish. Embryo maturation and
GFP expression are being monitored daily by fluorescence microscopy. We expect that the transgenic pink convict cichlid will offer a unique model for studying protein localization and in vivo gene targeting, as well as for conducting research in toxicology and genomics.