Gisela Benavides Canas

This is great

Owen Johnson

123

IACUC Chair Decision
Decision

Review Form

Protocol Number: 24-6425

test project exercise title

Principal Investigator

The PI has direct contact with the animals
Name test investigator name
Title test title
Department test department
Phone 435-867-9305
Emergency Phone 435-867-9305

Lab Contact

Name [3543]
Phone 435-867-9305
Location test location
Email test@utahtech.edu
Fax 435-867-9305

Other Responsible Persons

Name Responsibility Office Phone Emergency Phone
na na 435-867-9305 435-867-9305

Are the persons performing the experiments with the animals or the surgeries experienced with the specific procedures involved? Yes

Personnel and training for all individuals with direct animal contact

Name Office Phone Yr. Experience working with species When/Where experience received
test name 435-867-9305 5 test where

Protocol Status: New

Start Date: September 30, 2024

Anticipated Completion Date: September 23, 2025

Funding Source: Department, test source

Category of Ethical Concern Applicable to this Protocol: Basic

Biohazards? No

Radioisotopes? No

Carcinogens? No

Toxic Chemicals? No

Research methods which apply to this project
(Answer highlighted in red)
  • Blood and/or tissue collection
  • Survival surgery
  • Antibody production and collection
  • Non-survival surgery
  • Behavioral studies
  • Aseptic surgery
  • Prolonged physical restraint
  • Multiple surgeries on the same animal
  • Food or water deprivation
  • Alleviated pain
  • Environmental extremes
  • Unalleviated pain
  • Electrical stimuli
  • Anesthetics used
  • Induction of trauma
  • Immobilizing agents without anesthesia
  • Work to be done off campus
  • Field studies

Animal Census and Housing

Species Strain/Stock Breed Sex Age/Weight Number Bred Number Ordered Project Year Pain Category Total # Requested
test specices NA test sex test age NA NA 2024 test teset
no comments
Species Average Daily Census Source
test test test

The animals will NOT be housed

Maximum number of hours at one time the animals will be kept in the laboratory/surgery: 12-24 hrs

Are prolonged (more than a few hours) physical restraint procedures part of this project? Yes

SUPPLEMENT FORM 4 REQUIRED

Euthansia

Species Method Drug Dose of Drug mg/kg Route
test test test test test

Will tissues, cells or other products derived from animals be shared with other investigators during or after the project? No

Are there any special requirements for animal housing, diets, restraint, or procedures for disposal? No

Lay Summary

How might a patient population (human or animal) benefit from your experiments? Provide background information on your study. Explain why it is important to do the study.

test

What experimental manipulations will be done with the animals (in general terms)?

test

Why must animals be used in these experiments and why is this particular species selected (as opposed to animals of a lower phylogeny or a non-animal alternative)?

test

Why are the animal model(s) you are proposing the most appropriate model(s) for achieving the objectives of this project?

test

How will you ensure that pain and distress will be minimized or prevented?

test

What happens to the animals at the end of the experiment?

tset

Experimental Summary Upload

Click Here

Instructions for disposition of sick or injured animals

Call Investigator

Instructions for disposition of dead animals

Call Investigator

Will animals be observed, manipulated, or trapped in the wild? No

Species Drug/ Substance Route Site/ Location Volume Dosage Frequency
na na na na na na na

Will you be exposing, injecting or otherwise administering to mice or rats any biological materials previously obtained from or passaged through mice or rats such as serum or cell lines (tumor cells, tissues, hybridomas, antibodies, etc.)? No

Species Type Volume Frequency Method or Route Anesthesia or Sedation Used?
test test test test test test

Are behavioral studies involved in this project? No

Criteria for monitoring the condition of the animals during food and water deprivation:

Will there be unrelieved pain or stress (defined as lasting for more than a moment, i.e. longer duration or more painful than a needlestick)? No

Is death an end-point? No

Assurances

Data Source Searched From Searched To Keywords Used Date Searched Performed
test 2024 2025 test September 17, 2024

Alternatives refer to methods or approaches which result in refinement of procedures which lessen pain and/or distress; reduction in numbers of animals required; or replacement of animals with non-whole-animal systems or replacement of one animal species with another, particularly if the substituted species is non-mammalian or invertebrate. I have determined that the following alternatives are available. Described briefly if applicable

test

Gisela Benavides Canas

This is great

Owen Johnson

123

IACUC Chair Decision
Decision

Review Form

Protocol Number: 24-6425

test project exercise title

Principal Investigator

The PI has direct contact with the animals
Name test investigator name
Title test title
Department test department
Phone 435-867-9305
Emergency Phone 435-867-9305

Lab Contact

Name [3543]
Phone 435-867-9305
Location test location
Email test@utahtech.edu
Fax 435-867-9305

Other Responsible Persons

Name Responsibility Office Phone Emergency Phone
na na 435-867-9305 435-867-9305

Are the persons performing the experiments with the animals or the surgeries experienced with the specific procedures involved? Yes

Personnel and training for all individuals with direct animal contact

Name Office Phone Yr. Experience working with species When/Where experience received
test name 435-867-9305 5 test where

Protocol Status: New

Start Date: September 30, 2024

Anticipated Completion Date: September 23, 2025

Funding Source: Department, test source

Category of Ethical Concern Applicable to this Protocol: Basic

Biohazards? No

Radioisotopes? No

Carcinogens? No

Toxic Chemicals? No

Research methods which apply to this project
(Answer highlighted in red)
  • Blood and/or tissue collection
  • Survival surgery
  • Antibody production and collection
  • Non-survival surgery
  • Behavioral studies
  • Aseptic surgery
  • Prolonged physical restraint
  • Multiple surgeries on the same animal
  • Food or water deprivation
  • Alleviated pain
  • Environmental extremes
  • Unalleviated pain
  • Electrical stimuli
  • Anesthetics used
  • Induction of trauma
  • Immobilizing agents without anesthesia
  • Work to be done off campus
  • Field studies

Animal Census and Housing

Species Strain/Stock Breed Sex Age/Weight Number Bred Number Ordered Project Year Pain Category Total # Requested
test specices NA test sex test age NA NA 2024 test teset
no comments
Species Average Daily Census Source
test test test

The animals will NOT be housed

Maximum number of hours at one time the animals will be kept in the laboratory/surgery: 12-24 hrs

Are prolonged (more than a few hours) physical restraint procedures part of this project? Yes

SUPPLEMENT FORM 4 REQUIRED

Euthansia

Species Method Drug Dose of Drug mg/kg Route
test test test test test

Will tissues, cells or other products derived from animals be shared with other investigators during or after the project? No

Are there any special requirements for animal housing, diets, restraint, or procedures for disposal? No

Lay Summary

How might a patient population (human or animal) benefit from your experiments? Provide background information on your study. Explain why it is important to do the study.

test

What experimental manipulations will be done with the animals (in general terms)?

test

Why must animals be used in these experiments and why is this particular species selected (as opposed to animals of a lower phylogeny or a non-animal alternative)?

test

Why are the animal model(s) you are proposing the most appropriate model(s) for achieving the objectives of this project?

test

How will you ensure that pain and distress will be minimized or prevented?

test

What happens to the animals at the end of the experiment?

tset

Experimental Summary Upload

Click Here

Instructions for disposition of sick or injured animals

Call Investigator

Instructions for disposition of dead animals

Call Investigator

Will animals be observed, manipulated, or trapped in the wild? No

Species Drug/ Substance Route Site/ Location Volume Dosage Frequency
na na na na na na na

Will you be exposing, injecting or otherwise administering to mice or rats any biological materials previously obtained from or passaged through mice or rats such as serum or cell lines (tumor cells, tissues, hybridomas, antibodies, etc.)? No

Species Type Volume Frequency Method or Route Anesthesia or Sedation Used?
test test test test test test

Are behavioral studies involved in this project? No

Criteria for monitoring the condition of the animals during food and water deprivation:

Will there be unrelieved pain or stress (defined as lasting for more than a moment, i.e. longer duration or more painful than a needlestick)? No

Is death an end-point? No

Assurances

Data Source Searched From Searched To Keywords Used Date Searched Performed
test 2024 2025 test September 17, 2024

Alternatives refer to methods or approaches which result in refinement of procedures which lessen pain and/or distress; reduction in numbers of animals required; or replacement of animals with non-whole-animal systems or replacement of one animal species with another, particularly if the substituted species is non-mammalian or invertebrate. I have determined that the following alternatives are available. Described briefly if applicable

test

Megen Kepas

Reviewed Fall 2025. Recommendation to approve.

IACUC Chair Decision
Decision

Review Form

Protocol Number: 25-37503

RNA Metabolism and Stress Adaptation by LSM1 and LSM8 in Neurodevelopment

Principal Investigator

The PI has direct contact with the animals
Name Hung-Yu Shih
Title Assistant Professor
Department Biological Sciences
Phone 385-235-9209
Emergency Phone 385-235-9209

Lab Contact

Name [3543]
Phone 435-652-7752
Location SET 303
Email hung.yu.shih@utahtech.edu

Other Responsible Persons

Name Responsibility Office Phone Emergency Phone
Yu-Chien Liu RA 435-652-7752 435-525-0927
Marli Wakefield RA 000-000-0000 702-281-3110

Are the persons performing the experiments with the animals or the surgeries experienced with the specific procedures involved? Yes

Personnel and training for all individuals with direct animal contact

Name Office Phone Yr. Experience working with species When/Where experience received
Hung-Yu Shih 435-652-7752 17 Graduate and postdoctoral works/ Chang Gung University and University of Utah
Yu-Chien Liu 435-652-7752 8 Graduate works/Chang Gung University

Protocol Status: New

Start Date: August 17, 2026

Anticipated Completion Date: August 16, 2031

Funding Source: Extramural Source

Category of Ethical Concern Applicable to this Protocol: Basic

Biohazards? No

Radioisotopes? No

Carcinogens? No

Toxic Chemicals? tunicamycin, thapsigargin, sodium arsenite,

Research methods which apply to this project
(Answer highlighted in red)
  • Blood and/or tissue collection
  • Survival surgery
  • Antibody production and collection
  • Non-survival surgery
  • Behavioral studies
  • Aseptic surgery
  • Prolonged physical restraint
  • Multiple surgeries on the same animal
  • Food or water deprivation
  • Alleviated pain
  • Environmental extremes
  • Unalleviated pain
  • Electrical stimuli
  • Anesthetics used
  • Induction of trauma
  • Immobilizing agents without anesthesia
  • Work to be done off campus
  • Field studies

Animal Census and Housing

Species Strain/Stock Breed Sex Age/Weight Number Bred Number Ordered Project Year Pain Category Total # Requested
Danio rerio AB M/F Adult 100 50 2026-2031 B 550
Danio rerio TU M/F Adult 100 50 2026-2031 B 550
Danio rerio lsm1 knockout M/F Adlut 30 0 2026-2031 D 150
Danio rerio Tg(neurod:GFP-pA) M/F Adult 50 0 2026-2031 B 200
Danio rerio Tg(gfap:GFP-pA) M/F Adlut 50 0 2026-2031 B 200
Danio rerio Tg(olig1:GFP-pA) M/F Adult 50 0 2026-2031 B 200
Danio rerio Tg(olig2;dsRed-pA) M/F Adult 50 0 2026-2031 B 200
Danio rerio Tg(mnx1:GFP-pA) M/F Adult 50 0 2026-2031 B 200
Danio rerio Tg(mbpa:GFP-CAAX-pA) M/F Adult 50 0 2026-2031 B 200
Species Average Daily Census Source
Danio rerio 530 In-house breeding
Danio rerio 530 In-house breeding
The animals will be housed
Purpose of housing Building or Site Room
Stock Maintenance SET fish facility
Stock Maintenance SET fish facility

Maximum number of hours at one time the animals will be kept in the laboratory/surgery: 0-12 hrs

Is surgery involved in the proposed project? Yes

SUPPLEMENT FORM 2 REQUIRED

Are stressful or painful procedures, other than surgery, part of this project? Yes

SUPPLEMENT FORM 3 REQUIRED

Will genetically engineered or other mutant animals be produced or maintained that may be expected to develop clinical signs as a result of the mutation? Yes

SUPPLEMENT FORM 5 REQUIRED

Euthansia

Species Method Drug Dose of Drug mg/kg Route
Danio rerio Rapid chilling Submersion

Will tissues, cells or other products derived from animals be shared with other investigators during or after the project? No

Are there any special requirements for animal housing, diets, restraint, or procedures for disposal? Yes

Explanation(s) for each parameter involved:

Adult zebrafish will be maintained on a 14:10 light–dark cycle and fed three times daily.

Lay Summary

How might a patient population (human or animal) benefit from your experiments? Provide background information on your study. Explain why it is important to do the study.

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play a critical role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. Dysregulation of RBPs has been linked to congenital neurological disorders and brain tumors. Despite their importance, the physiological functions of RBPs during vertebrate neurodevelopment remain poorly understood. The Like-Sm (LSM) proteins, LSM1 and LSM8, form distinct cytoplasmic and nuclear complexes that regulate mRNA decay and pre-mRNA splicing, respectively. Although their biochemical functions are well characterized, the physiological roles and underlying molecular mechanisms by which LSM1 and LSM8 influence central nervous system (CNS) development and stress adaptation remain unexplored.
This project will leverage zebrafish (Danio rerio) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as models to uncover the developmental roles, molecular mechanisms, and stress-adaptive functions of LSM1 and LSM8 in the CNS. Three complementary research directions will be pursued: (1) defining the stage- and lineage-specific roles of LSM1 and LSM8 during embryonic neurodevelopment; (2) using machine learning to map downstream gene regulatory networks (GRNs) and RNA interactomes through integrated bulk RNA-seq, single-cell transcriptomics, long-read sequencing, RNA stability assays, and Individual-nucleotide resolution crosslinking and RNA immunoprecipitation; and (3) investigating how LSM1- and LSM8-dependent pathways contribute to stress adaptation by regulating RNA granule dynamics, protein complexes, and transcript fate under stress conditions. Together, these directions will reveal how distinct Lsm complexes cooperate to maintain RNA homeostasis in vivo and how their dysfunction compromises CNS development and stress resilience.
By integrating genetics, imaging, transcriptomics, and proteomics, this program will establish a comprehensive framework for post-transcriptional regulation during vertebrate neurodevelopment. The results will generate broadly applicable datasets and community resources, providing fundamental insights into stress-sensitive RNA regulation and advancing our understanding of how dysregulated RBPs impair neurodevelopment and might contribute to neurodegenerative diseases.

What experimental manipulations will be done with the animals (in general terms)?

Adult zebrafish: fin-clipped and euthanasia if necessary.
Zebrafish embryo: Microinjection, extraction of genomic DNA, RNA, and protein.

Why must animals be used in these experiments and why is this particular species selected (as opposed to animals of a lower phylogeny or a non-animal alternative)?

Zebrafish provide an exceptional vertebrate system for investigating the roles of RNA-binding proteins in neurodevelopment and stress adaptation. Their transparent, externally developing embryos enable real-time visualization of CNS formation, lineage specification, and stress responses at single-cell resolution. Orthologs of lsm1 and lsm8 are conserved, and zebrafish share key molecular pathways with mammals, including ER stress, oxidative stress, and RNA granule remodeling, making them highly relevant for modeling RNA metabolism and its disruption in disease. Their tractable genetics allow targeted knockouts and knockdowns, while large clutches of embryos support parallel experiments, multi-omic profiling, and statistically robust stress assays that cannot be achieved in cell culture or invertebrate systems. These features position zebrafish as the most appropriate vertebrate model for dissecting LSM1- and LSM8-mediated regulation of neurodevelopment and stress resilience.

Why are the animal model(s) you are proposing the most appropriate model(s) for achieving the objectives of this project?

Zebrafish represent the least sentient vertebrate capable of addressing the in vivo questions central to this project, which cannot be resolved in vitro or in lower organisms

How will you ensure that pain and distress will be minimized or prevented?

Previous studies showed that zebrafish start to have pain responses by 3 days after fertilization. This project will apply
microinjection to fertilized embryos (one cell). Thus, it will not stress the animals.

For adult zebrafish, we will anesthetize them with a pharmacological inhibitor (MS-222) to minimize stress during the fin-clipping procedure.

What happens to the animals at the end of the experiment?

All the fish will still be housed in the fish facility to support subsequent research projects under different IACUC protocols.

Experimental Summary Upload

Click Here

Instructions for disposition of sick or injured animals

Euthanize

Instructions for disposition of dead animals

Bag for Disposal

Will animals be observed, manipulated, or trapped in the wild? No

Species Drug/ Substance Route Site/ Location Volume Dosage Frequency
Danio rerio Crispr/Cas9 complexes Microinjection Cell body 1-2nL variant Once
Danio rerio Morpholino Microinjection Cell body 1-2nL variant Once
Danio rerio Synthesized mRNA Microinjection Cell body 1-2nL variant Once
Danio rerio Toxic chemicals Submersionn Whole embryo 3-5mL variant Daily

Will you be exposing, injecting or otherwise administering to mice or rats any biological materials previously obtained from or passaged through mice or rats such as serum or cell lines (tumor cells, tissues, hybridomas, antibodies, etc.)? No

Species Type Volume Frequency Method or Route Anesthesia or Sedation Used?
Danio rerio Genomic DNA Whole embryo Once Grinding Anesthesia
Danio rerio Total RNA Whole embryo Once Grinding Anesthesia
Danio rerio Total protein Whole embryo Once Grinding Anesthesia
Danio rerio Genomic DNA 10mm Once Fin-clipping Anesthesia

Are behavioral studies involved in this project? Yes

Species

Danio rerio

Purpose of Conditioning

Genetic modification

Behavioral Study Method Used

Free swimming, light stimulation, or Tungsten needle stimulation.

Strength and Duration

Up to 1 hour

Kcal/day Provided

N/A.

ml/kg Provided

N/A.

Species

Danio rerio

Purpose of Conditioning

Genetic modification

Behavioral Study Method Used

Free swimming, light stimulation, or Tungsten needle stimulation.

Strength and Duration

Up to 1 hour

Kcal/day Provided

N/A.

ml/kg Provided

N/A.

Species

Danio rerio

Purpose of Conditioning

Genetic modification

Behavioral Study Method Used

Free swimming, light stimulation, or Tungsten needle stimulation.

Strength and Duration

Up to 1 hour

Kcal/day Provided

N/A.

ml/kg Provided

N/A.

Species

Danio rerio

Purpose of Conditioning

Genetic modification

Behavioral Study Method Used

Free swimming, light stimulation, or Tungsten needle stimulation.

Strength and Duration

Up to 1 hour

Kcal/day Provided

N/A.

ml/kg Provided

N/A.

Criteria for monitoring the condition of the animals during food and water deprivation: N/A.

Will there be unrelieved pain or stress (defined as lasting for more than a moment, i.e. longer duration or more painful than a needlestick)? No

Is death an end-point? No

Assurances

Data Source Searched From Searched To Keywords Used Date Searched Performed
PubMed 2000 2025 Alternative zebrafish genotyping methods September 1, 2025
AAALAC 2000 2025 Alternative zebrafish genotyping methods September 1, 2025

Alternatives refer to methods or approaches which result in refinement of procedures which lessen pain and/or distress; reduction in numbers of animals required; or replacement of animals with non-whole-animal systems or replacement of one animal species with another, particularly if the substituted species is non-mammalian or invertebrate. I have determined that the following alternatives are available. Described briefly if applicable

N/A.

SUPPLEMENTAL FORM(S) ARE REQUIRED