Development of Selective Connectivity in a Simple Nervous System

默菲博士进行的这项研究的目标是了解神经系统中突触重排过程中突触是如何稳定的。突触组装过程是一个动态的过程，包括突触前细胞和突触后细胞。在之前的资助期间，默菲博士收集了显著的结果，表明突触的强度和短期可塑性可以由突触后细胞控制。默菲博士现在将集中研究突触后细胞在突触组装过程中的作用。他将利用电生理学技术描述不断变化的突触的短期和长期可塑性。此外，药理学工具将被用来阻断神经发生或神经活动，以努力探索突触稳定和不稳定的潜在机制。最后，默菲博士将使用计算工具探索突触重排对电路功能的影响。这项研究的结果将大大增加我们对突触组装过程中涉及的相互作用的了解。

The goal of the research to be performed by Dr. Murphey is to understand how synapses are stabilized during synaptic rearrangement in the nervous system. The synaptic assembly process is a dynamic one involving both the pre- and post synaptic cells. During the previous funding period, Dr. Murphey gathered remarkable results suggesting that the strength and short term plasticity of synapses can be controlled by the postsynaptic cell. Dr. Murphey will now concentrate his studies on the role of the postsynaptic cell in the process of synapse assembly. He will utilize electrophysiological techniques to describe short and long term plasticity at synapses that are constantly being altered. In addition, pharmacological tools will be used to block neurogenisis or neural activity in an effort to explore the mechanisms underlying synapse stabilization and destabilization. Finally, Dr. Murphey will use computational tools to explore the consequences of synaptic rearrangement for circuit function. Results obtained from this study will add significantly to our knowledge of what interactions are involved in the assembly of synapses.***