SGER: Period Gene Expression and Endocrine-Mediated Behavioral Development

昼夜节律影响生物体功能的许多方面，如睡眠周期、繁殖和认知能力。因此，生物学的一个前沿是阐明构成生物钟的分子，以获得关于生物钟如何被控制的新见解。这项研究的重点是周期基因的表达，这是迄今为止研究得最多的生物钟基因之一。罗宾逊博士正在测量生长和成熟过程中每个基因表达的变化，特别是在从节律性行为向节律性行为转变的过程中。由于时钟基因的表达从未在该模型系统中进行过，因此该研究将为时钟基因如何调节特定的神经生物学和行为功能提供重要的新信息。

Robinson IBN-9630020 Circadian rhythms influence many aspects of the functioning of an organism, such as sleep cycles, reproduction and cognitive abilities. One frontier in bimlogy is therefore to elucidate the molecules that comprise biological clocks in order to gain new insights on how biological clocks are governed. This research focuses on the expression of the period (per) gene, one of the most-well studied genes of the biological clock to date. Dr. Robinson is measuring changes in per gene expression during growth an maturation, especially as the transition from arrthymical to rhythmical behaviors is being made. Because the expression of clock genes has never been undertaken in this model system, the study will generate important new information on how clock genes regulate specific neurobiological and behavioral functions.