Undergraduate Training in Modern Techniques of Experimental Neuroscience

该奖项为康奈尔大学神经生物学和行为学系提供资金，用于购买设备，用于教授生物学本科学生，以及相关领域的学生，如物理、工程和计算机科学，通过动手实验室经验来教授细胞神经科学的现代技术。这将由积极从事研究的科学家通过一系列三门本科课程来完成：1)神经生理学原理，2)神经生物学家的电子学，以及3)神经生物学家的计算机接口。在第一门课程中，本科生将在实验室练习中使用最先进的研究设备（计算机、电压钳放大器、微操纵器、微电极牵引器和灌注泵）来教授神经系统中的电信号原理。在这些练习中，计算机数据采集和分析以及教学生使用Macintosh II计算机，以及为此目的所需的相关硬件和软件将被强调。本课程将用无脊椎动物模型系统取代所有标准的脊椎动物准备。在电子学课程中，学生将学习应用于电生理学和其他生物领域的电子学基本原理，以设计简单、相关的电路，例如用于基本电压放大器和膜片钳放大器的电路。计算机接口课程将使用Macintosh II计算机来教授生物实验中计算机接口方法的技术细节（硬件和软件）。该项目不仅为本科生提供新的、强大的实验神经科学方法的培训，而且为其他神经科学培训项目开发先进的教学工具具有重要意义。通过这个项目，本科生将获得理论和技术技能，这将有助于他们在企业和学术研究环境中成为富有成效的科学家。受助人将与非联邦来源的奖励相匹配。

This award provides funds to the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior at Cornell University to help purchase equipment which will be used to teach undergraduate biology students, and students in allied fields such as physics, engineering and computer sciences, modern techniques in cellular neuroscience through hands- on laboratory experience. This will be accomplished by active research scientists in a series of three undergraduate courses entitled: 1) Principles of Neurophysiology, 2) Electronics for Neurobiologists, and 3) Computer Interfacing for Neurobiologists. In the first course, undergraduates will use the state-of-the-art research equipment (computers, voltage clamp amplifiers, micromanipulators, microelectrode pullers, and perfusion pumps) in laboratory exercises designed to teach the principles of electrical signalling in the nervous system. In these exercises, computer data acquisition and analysis and teaching students the use of Macintosh II computers, along with the related hardware and software necessary for this purpose will be emphasized. This course will replace all standard vertebrate preparations with invertebrate model systems. In the electronics course, students will learn fundamental principles of electronics as applied to electrophysiology and other biological fields to design simple, relevant circuits such as those used for basic voltage and patch clamp amplifiers. The computer interfacing course will use the Macintosh II computers to teach the technical details (hardware and software) of computer interfacing methods in biological experiments. This project has important significance not only in providing undergraduates with training in new and powerful methods of experimental neuroscience, but also in developing advanced teaching tools useful for other neuroscience training programs. Through this project, undergraduate students will gain theoretical and technical skills that will help them be productive scientists in both corporate and academic research environments. The grantee is matching this award with non-Federal sources.