SGER: cDNA Microarray for Studies of Sexual Communication

cDNA微阵列分析已广泛应用于生物医学研究，但这种研究方法尚未应用于非生物医学生物。将开发一种cDNA微阵列，用于研究通加拉蛙的大脑行为和社会性行为。长期以来，通加拉蛙一直是研究性选择和行为交流进化的模式生物。基因表达谱将在执行不同繁殖行为的青蛙中进行比较，以检查这些表达谱在一个物种组内的进化。研究结果将直接应用于神经生物学、遗传学、进化和行为学的相关研究。更广泛的影响是，该技术将广泛应用于以前无法获得的行为领域。此外，这项研究将补充其他生物学领域的项目，包括发育和群体遗传学，也旨在了解遗传变异和多样性的维持。该项目将涉及本科生、一名研究生和一名博士后，他们将参与项目的各个方面。

cDNA microarray analyses have been used extensively in biomedical research, however this research approach has not been developed for nonbio-medical organisms. A cDNA microarray will be developed for studying brain behavior and socio-sexual behavior in the Tungara frog. The Tungara frog has long been a model organism for studying sexual selection and the evolution of behavioral communication. Gene expression profiles will be compared in frogs performing different reproductive behaviors to examine the evolution of those expression profiles within a species group. The results will have direct application to related studies in neurobiology, genetics, evolution, and behavior. The broader impacts are that the technique will have broad application to an area of behavior for which it has not previously been available. Also, this research will complement projects in other fields of biology including development and population genetics also aimed at understanding genetic variation and the maintenance of diversity. The project will involve undergraduates, a graduate student, and a post doc who will be involved in all aspects of the project.