Tigers for Life Hosts Lecture About Biology Research

Gabriela Rennebeck talks at the Tigers for Life meeting. 
(photo courtesy of Tigers for Life)

By Jackson Beach

Tigers for Life, Trinity's student pro-life group, met on Thursday to hear biologist Gabriela Rennebeck talk about embryonic development.

Rennebeck has a doctorate in biological sciences from the University of Texas at Austin and works as the laboratory coordinator in several biology courses at Trinity.

She discussed the latest findings of her research, which involves examining the quaking gene in zebrafish embryonic development. Rennebeck noted that the quaking gene found in zebrafish is also found in humans and her research is part of a larger movement towards personalized medicine.

“We’re going to a phase where medicine is becoming tailored to the patient,” Renneback said.

After the lecture, students at the meeting—about 10 of them—asked Rennebeck several questions, including how long it takes for a human heart to begin beating after conception and the scientific merits of stem cell research.

Throughout the talk and the ensuing conversation, abortion was not really mentioned and most of the discussion was not specifically about pro-life, which was actually the point of the meeting.

“We’re not just about abortion,” said Angelique Lopez, a freshman and the president of Tigers for Life. As the only pro-life group on a left-leaning campus, Lopez noted that students often misjudge the group.

In fact, the group has facilitated discussions on assisted suicide and euthanasia, and intends to hold a discussion on capital punishment in the near future. “Tigers for Life is focused on trying to build a culture of life here on campus, and trying to educate people on basic stuff like pregnancy resource centers and embryology,” said Lopez.  

As for what she meant by “a culture of life,” Lopez elaborated, “Many women feel like abortion is their only option and our goal is to tell other people that we’re there for them.”

The group sets up informational table at the Coates University Center on a weekly basis. “Whenever people see our Tigers for Life table, they walk quickly past us. But we don’t talk about just abortion,” Said Lopez. “We’re not scary people.”
In the coming weeks, Tigers for Life is hosting a discussion with Dr. David Crockett, a professor of political science at Trinity, on natural law and Aquinas.