Our Lab

Mechanisms of Behavior Lab Lab Director, David Sinkiewicz

Dr. David Sinkiewicz Director of the Mechanisms of Behavior Lab

David is the Director of our core lab, the CISAB Mechanisms of Behavior Laboratory. He has over a decade of experience in the study and application of molecular techniques. His background includes applying genetic techniques such as PCR and RNA-Seq to organisms that are non-traditional genetic models.

Additionally, David has significant experience teaching in a laboratory setting and comes from a family that has produced several educators. This allows David to thrive when teaching wet-lab techniques to researchers. It also enables him to include the Mechanisms of Behavior Lab as in integral part of the CTRD graduate course: Techniques in Reproductive Diversity.

This research background coupled with his experience teaching and managing research labs enables David to succeed in directing the Mechanisms of Behavior Lab.

Mechanisms of Behavior Lab is now a CTSI Service Core

The mission of  Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute is to “create the highest-quality research dedicated to improving human health across Indiana and beyond.” CTSI Cores have demonstrated quality oversight, and users that span departments and schools, among other criteria. CISAB members whose research has clinical and translational applications are encouraged to explore the many programs CTSI has to offer, including the possibility of research funding opportunities. If you conduct labwork in the CISAB Mechanisms of Behavior Laboratory, consider applying for special CTSI Core Pilot Grants!

Services offered by the CISAB Lab

CISAB’s Mechanisms of Behavior Lab operates as a recharge center, providing the supplies and reagents required to perform a variety of common molecular and endocrine techniques, which are billed at cost upon completion. These include hormone extraction, enzyme immunoassay (EIA/ELISA), nucleic acid extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and quantitative PCR preparation. Although we place a special focus on offering services valuable to IUB- and CISAB- affiliated researchers, non-affiliated researchers including those with research interests beyond animal behavior are also welcome to reach out and explore the possibilities of working in our lab. As a CTSI Designated Core, special funding opportunities may be available for researchers that conduct billable lab work.

View our billable techniques

CISAB Lab equipment

The following is a list of equipment currently available in the CISAB Lab. Please use the CISAB Lab Calendar to sign up for equipment ahead of time.

  • Water purification system (ultrapure)
  • Temperature controlled centrifuges (standard and micro)
  • Fume and laminar flow hoods
  • Electronic chemical balance
  • Dry heating block
  • Water baths (including shaking and sonication)
  • Standard and multi-tube vortexers
  • General-purpose incubator
  • Hot plate/stirrer
  • Refrigerators and -20°C and -80°C freezers
  • pH meter
  • Single-channel, multichannel and repeater pipettes
  • Mettler-Toledo analytical balance
  • Integra Assist Plus automated pipetting robot
  • Cryostat
  • Microplate spectrophotometer with low-volume DNA/RNA/protein quantification
  • Rotor-stator homogenizer
  • Pellet pestle motor
  • Maxwell RSC nucleic acid purification system
  • Quantus Fluorometer
  • Thermocyclers (standard and gradient)
  • Vertical and Horizontal gel electrophoresis rigs
  • UV transilluminator with digital camera/printer
  • Western blot apparatus
  • ABI QuantStudio 6 Flex quantitative thermocycler
  • Microplate absorbance plate readers
  • Microplate washers
  • Microplate shakers
  • Evap-O-Rac for drying down samples under air or nitrogen
  • Vacuum manifold system