Spela Goricki

Spela Goricki

Slovenia

Scriptorium biologorum

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Published on Sep 03, 2018

A prestigious nomination

Dear eProteus backers and followers, This will be my last lab note before official publication of the results of this project. For this occasion I chose to post a piece of extraordinary news, espec...

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Published on Sep 03, 2018

Je ne sais pas si je peux, mais je vais essayer!*

* R. Goscinny & A. Uderzo (1965): Asterix chez les Bretons, pl. 43Dear Backers,Thanks to your interest and generous donations, it looks like I will be able to complete the first phase of brain ...

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Published on Aug 30, 2018

eDNA in Subterranean Biology Update

At the 23rd International Conference on Subterranean Biology two years ago I presented the results of a survey that introduced the eDNA method in the subterranean environment. Since then it is poss...

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Published on Aug 15, 2018

Brains, anyone?

I am writing this progress report in humble recognition of the donation by an anonymous backer.Last Tuesday we ablated the neural complex of 72 Ciona adults of various sizes, which have been left t...

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Published on Jun 06, 2018

The Mystery of the Missing Molecule

Dear eProteus fans,It is with great satisfaction that I announce the outcomes of our little proof-of-concept experiment. Given that over a year has elapsed since I wrote the last note, and that the...

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Published on Apr 15, 2017

Field work successful

Four days, seven people, five sampling sites. Water level 78-80 cm, flow rate 2.38-2.64 m3/s, temperature 8.6-9 degrees Celsius at Malni station and 96-102 cm, 12.0-15.1 degrees Celsius at Postojns...

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Published on Apr 14, 2017

Field work days 1 and 2

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Published on Apr 11, 2017

Nail it or fail it

A very long time has passed since any attention was paid to our project and maybe you were beginning to wonder why. The weather has been nice and spring is usually the time many biologists, cave- o...

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Published on Feb 03, 2017

To sample or not to sample

A definitely premature wave of warm weather and rain has caused the water currents in our sampling area to increase dangerously and is putting our fieldwork, planned for mid-February, in question. ...

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Hi Markus It was great meeting you too! Thanks for the good wishes. All the best to you, Spela
Sep 03, 2018
Through a glass darkly: assessing population size of an endangered cave salamander from samples of spring and cave water
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Thanks Andrew! I'll do my best.
Aug 12, 2018
Identifying the genes necessary to regenerate an injured brain - insights from a basal chordate, Ciona intestinalis
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So that answers my question in the discussion - thank you.
Jun 14, 2017
Evolution of Autism-like Behaviors in cavefish: an emerging discovery platform for Autism treatments
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My autistic friend (now in his late thirties) has always had a habit of almost constantly shaking a shoelace attached to a clothes clip and staring at it. This object is an indivisible part of him and the behavior a kind of fixation (much like some sort of an OCD). I just realized this behavior reminds me very much of your experiments with toothbrush when you were studying VAB in cavefish. So I'm wondering if VAB isn't maybe related to autism-like behaviors in cavefish or one of them.... I wonder how this sounds to you?
Jun 14, 2017
Evolution of Autism-like Behaviors in cavefish: an emerging discovery platform for Autism treatments
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Jan and Cindy, should you ever find yourself in these parts of the World, I will be very pleased to meet you and arrange a visit to the cave. Plus there is a number of outstandingly beautiful caves in Slovenia open to visitors. The Postojnska jama, which is the oldest show cave in the World (and for a reason), is co-sponsoring this project.
Apr 29, 2017
Through a glass darkly: assessing population size of an endangered cave salamander from samples of spring and cave water
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My colleagues Dr. Valerija Zakšek and Prof. Peter Trontelj with collaborators are working have been working on this question for the past two years, trying to estimate the population size using microsatellites to mark the individuals. I will post their preliminary results as soon as they are published (expected next month), but the observed number is almost two thousand individuals in two diving seasons. No idea how many more actually live in the inaccessible parts of the system.
Apr 23, 2017
Through a glass darkly: assessing population size of an endangered cave salamander from samples of spring and cave water
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