CAREER: Reticulospinal control of alternative startle behaviors

Melina Elisabeth HaleProposal number：0238464 Title：Career：Reticulospinal control of alternative startle behaviors.这项研究解决的广泛问题是：大脑和脊髓中的神经细胞如何控制运动？ 这项研究的目的是确定神经系统的控制很少研究的惊吓行为称为S-开始，并将其与模型惊吓行为进行比较。 实验是在斑马鱼幼体上进行的，因为它们是透明的，可以观察到活的、完整的动物的大脑和脊髓。 通过结合荧光显微镜和高速视频分析，将同时观察神经细胞的活动和动物的运动模式，以确定特定神经细胞在哪些行为中起作用。 单个细胞也将从大脑或脊髓中取出，以测试它们在行为中的作用。 有关行为的数据表明，这两种类型的惊吓行为将由不同的神经细胞控制。 然而，由于这两种行为都处于相同的适应性约束之下--它们需要快速可靠，以防止逃跑的鱼被捕食者捕获或伤害--它们的神经控制的组织原则是相似的。 通过确定不同类型的惊吓行为是如何由神经系统控制的，这项研究为这种在进化上重要的行为提供了信息基础。 这项工作有几个教育目标。 在本科阶段，该计划将尖端技术带入课堂，学生进入研究实验室。 在中学一级，这个项目将研究动物如何与来自芝加哥南部社区的少数民族女孩一起移动的问题。 通过说明运动控制通过熟悉的条件，如脊髓损伤和中风的生物学，一个具体的目标是让学生了解他们的身体和条件，影响他们的生活。

Melina Elisabeth HaleProposal number: 0238464Title: CAREER: Reticulospinal control of alternative startle behaviors.The broad question this research addresses is: How do nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord control movement? The aim of this research is to determine the nervous system's control of a little-studied startle behavior called the S-start and to compare it to the model startle behavior. Experiments are conducted on larval zebrafish because they are transparent, making it possible to look into the brain and spinal cord in the live, intact animal. With combined fluorescence microscopy and high-speed video analysis, the activity of nerve cells and movement pattern of the animal will be viewed simultaneously to determine in which behaviors specific nerve cells function. Individual cells will also be removed from the brain or spinal cord to test their roles in behavior. Data on behavior suggests that the two types of startle behavior will be controlled by different sets of nerve cells. However, because the two behaviors are under the same adaptive constraints--they need to be fast and reliable to prevent the escaping fish from being captured or injured by a predator--organizing principles of their nervous control will be similar. By determining how alternative types of startle behaviors are controlled by the nervous system, this research provides a foundation of information on this evolutionarily important behavior. This work has several educational goals. At the undergraduate level, this program brings cutting-edge technology into the classroom and students into the research laboratory. At the middle-school level, this program will examine issues of how animals move with minority girls from communities on the south side of Chicago. By illustrating movement control through the biology of familiar conditions, such as spinal-cord injury and stroke, a specific goal is to empower students to learn about their bodies and conditions that affect their lives.