Center for Biological Timing

生物计时中心

• 批准号: 8920162
• 负责人: Gene Block
• 金额: $ 1278.18万
• 依托单位: University of Virginia Main Campus
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Cooperative Agreement
• 财政年份: 1991
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1991-02-01 至 2002-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=8920162&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Center; Biological; Timing

Nearly all biological systems show periodic patterns of activity. Commonly known examples are daily (circadian), tidal, lunar and yearly rhythms of activities such as sleep, locomotion, migration and reproduction. It remains unclear what kinds of "biological clocks" monitor time and regulate these activities, although some notable progress has been made on certain cases in the past decade. This Center for Biological Timing provides a coordinated effort of seventeen laboratories at three universities, in a way impossible for individual research projects. Molecular, cellular and system-level processes will be studied to see how they generate, synchronize and integrate critical physiological oscillations within neural and endocrine systems. Research at the molecular and cellular levels will concentrate on the role of genetic transcriptional and translational events, the participation of intracellular "second messenger" pathways, and the role of membrane properties in the generation and control of oscillations. Research at the level of functioning systems will concentrate on interrelationships among elements in the timing system, particularly those between oscillating elements themselves, and between oscillators and external cues that entrain or modulate the period or phase of the oscillators. Research on neural and hormonal outputs will focus on how the timing systems and rhythmic processes are integrated into the behavior of the organism, and in turn can be modulated by a number of pathways. A biomathematical core facility will provide a rigorous quantitative framework on which to build the biological analysis of temporal structure. This center exploits a unique opportunity to combine formal mathematical modelling, molecular biology, physiology and behavioral approaches in a unified setting on an important biological issue. It will enhance activity in education and the development of human resources in this multidisciplinary area, and industrial participation is encouraged. Impact of the center will be strong across all fields of biology, and likely on applied areas such as agricultural productivity and human performance.

几乎所有的生物系统都表现出周期性的活动模式。常见的例子有昼夜节律、潮汐节律、农历节律和年度节律，如睡眠、运动、迁徙和繁殖。尽管在过去十年中在某些情况下取得了一些显著的进展，但目前尚不清楚是什么类型的“生物钟”监测时间和调节这些活动。这个生物计时中心提供了三所大学的17个实验室的协调工作，这对单个研究项目来说是不可能的。将研究分子、细胞和系统水平的过程，以了解它们如何在神经和内分泌系统内产生、同步和整合关键的生理振荡。分子和细胞水平的研究将集中在遗传转录和翻译事件的作用，参与细胞内的第二信使途径，以及膜特性在振荡的产生和控制中的作用。在功能系统层面的研究将集中在计时系统中元素之间的相互关系，特别是振荡元素本身之间的相互关系，以及振荡器与缠绕或调制振荡器的周期或相位的外部线索之间的相互关系。对神经和荷尔蒙输出的研究将集中在计时系统和节奏过程如何整合到有机体的行为中，进而可以通过许多途径进行调节。生物数学核心设施将提供一个严格的量化框架，在此基础上建立时间结构的生物分析。该中心利用一个独特的机会，在一个重要的生物学问题上，将正式的数学建模、分子生物学、生理学和行为学方法结合在一起。它将加强这一多学科领域的教育活动和人力资源开发，并鼓励工业参与。该中心的影响将在生物学的所有领域产生强烈影响，并可能对农业生产力和人类表现等应用领域产生影响。