The Acquisition of Equipment to Proccess and Image Brain Tissue for Use in Undergraduate Behavioral Neuroscience Research and Training

获取用于本科行为神经科学研究和培训的脑组织处理和成像设备

• 批准号: 0420395
• 负责人: Fay Guarraci
• 金额: $ 17.11万
• 依托单位: Southwestern University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-07-01 至 2006-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0420395&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Acquisition; Equipment; Proccess; Image; Brain

With support from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program, Southwestern University will be able to significantly expand the analytical capabilities of the behavioral neuroscience program. This grant will be used to acquire equipment for on-site processing and imaging of brain tissue, and will be used in research projects designed to identify the contribution of neurotransmitter systems to the display of female rodent mating behavior. This research will advance the understanding of the neurobiology of mammalian mating behavior, as well as prepare undergraduates for future careers in science. Neuroscience is a fast growing and technically demanding science. The rapid development of technology in neuroscience presents a challenge to smaller colleges and universities with limited funds for research. The state of the art histological equipment acquired through the MRI program will allow Southwestern to provide an accurate portrayal of neuroscience to the students. Undergraduate students will use and benefit directly from the technology and will receive the one-on-one mentoring that takes place at small, liberal arts institutions. In order to cultivate enthusiasm for behavioral neuroscience at Southwestern, as well as to prepare students for future careers in science, students must be engaged in basic research and have access to the equipment that is required to produce publishable results. As part of degree requirements, honors' theses, and regular coursework, students are already investigating the physiological factors that influence mating behavior in rats. Access to brain processing and imaging equipment will provide the students with the opportunity to conduct these projects at the caliber required by the peer-review of the scientific community. The rat represents an excellent model system to study how the brain controls behavior because research has established a foundation of basic neuroanatomy and a thorough description of the behavioral patterns of the laboratory rat. Recent research has begun to identify the brain areas that are critical for female mating behavior in the rat. In the present project, it is hypothesized that monoaminergic neurotransmission in these and other critical brain regions modulates the expression of female mating behavior. Injecting psychoactive substances directly into the brain prior to tests of mating behavior is an effective method to test this hypothesis. After careful training, undergraduate students can study the neural circuits and neurochemicals involved in the expression of various aspects of mating behavior by using this method. The equipment acquired with this grant will allow students at both Southwestern and St. Edward's University, a nearby small institution that will be collaborating on the project, to conduct such experiments and prepare the results for publication. In summary, having access to state of the art equipment will allow students and faculty members at Southwestern and St. Edward's to continue to be active members of the scientific community through collaborations and peer-reviewed publications.

在主要研究仪器（MRI）计划的支持下，西南大学将能够显着扩展行为神经科学计划的分析能力。这笔赠款将用于购买现场处理和脑组织成像的设备，并将用于旨在确定神经递质系统对雌性啮齿动物交配行为的贡献的研究项目。这项研究将促进对哺乳动物交配行为的神经生物学的理解，并为大学生未来的科学生涯做好准备。神经科学是一门快速发展和技术要求很高的科学。神经科学技术的快速发展对研究资金有限的小型学院和大学提出了挑战。通过MRI程序获得的最先进的组织学设备的状态将允许西南提供神经科学的学生准确的写照。本科生将使用并直接受益于该技术，并将获得在小型文科院校进行的一对一辅导。为了培养在西南行为神经科学的热情，以及为学生在科学未来的职业生涯做好准备，学生必须从事基础研究，并有机会获得所需的设备，以产生可靠的结果。作为学位要求、荣誉论文和常规课程的一部分，学生们已经在研究影响大鼠交配行为的生理因素。获得大脑处理和成像设备将为学生提供机会，以科学界同行评审所需的口径进行这些项目。大鼠是研究大脑如何控制行为的一个很好的模型系统，因为研究已经建立了基础神经解剖学的基础，并对实验室大鼠的行为模式进行了全面的描述。最近的研究已经开始确定对雌性大鼠交配行为至关重要的大脑区域。在本项目中，它是假设，单胺能神经传递在这些和其他关键的大脑区域调制的女性交配行为的表达。在测试交配行为之前，将精神活性物质直接注射到大脑中是测试这一假设的有效方法。经过精心的训练，本科生可以利用这种方法研究参与交配行为各个方面表达的神经回路和神经化学物质。用这笔赠款获得的设备将使西南大学和圣爱德华大学的学生能够进行这样的实验，并准备发表结果。总之，获得最先进的设备将使西南和圣爱德华的学生和教职员工通过合作和同行评议的出版物继续成为科学界的活跃成员。