Integrated Calcium and pH Signaling in C. elegans

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Keith NehrkeProposal Number: IOS-0919848Award title: Integrated Calcium and pH Signaling in C. elegansA major challenge in physiology is bridging the gap between molecular and integrative functions, or how processes occurring at the cell level are organized to convey systems functions. The genetic model organism C. elegans exhibits a rhythmic behavior that occurs every 45 seconds, and a variety of cell signaling processes contribute to the behavioral output. The project is designed to exploit the power of the nematode model system to explore functional interactions between these processes. The project will also study a novel mechanism for fast cell-cell communication, which forms the basis for one component of the rhythmic behavior. The investigators will employ during the course of these studies fluorescent biosensors to measure cell signaling in live worms, as well as pharmacology, genetics, and molecular techniques to address how cell signaling at the molecular level is translated into behavior in live organisms. This work could potentially transform our view of cell signaling, leading to the emergence of a new area of study with important implications for how cells communicate with one another to convey behavior. The project will provide training for two Ph.D. students and summer research opportunities for several undergraduate students, with a strong emphasis on minority applicants. As a part of this project, the investigators will also create and maintain a website that can be accessed and understood by the layperson.