A Biophysical Analysis of C. Elegans Thermotactic Behavior in Diverse Environments

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In this project the PI will develop new techniques to study worm thermotactic behavior in different types of environments with an approach that draws on technological innovation in both physics and biology. At the level of behavior, the PI will develop new assays to track the thermotactic movements of individual animals at high resolution for extended periods of time in two and three dimensions and at the level of neural circuits, the PI will develop an assay for optical recording of the activity of multiple neurons within the intact nervous system. The research program will provide a comprehensive and rigorous understanding of how a worm performs thermotaxis in different environments where it might have to swim, crawl, or burrow towards its preferred temperature. A better understanding of different modes of thermotactic behavior, along with improved methods for manipulating and monitoring neural activity, will provide new insights into how neural circuits give rise to sensory perception, information processing, and motor control during animal navigation. In addition the research program will promote training in the natural sciences through the awarding of undergraduate and graduate research assistantships. It will promote scientific education by integrating aspects of the program into course curricula at Harvard University that is aimed at introducing undergraduate and graduate students to current problems in biophysics and neuroscience. Outreach programs will provide summer internships in neuroscience research to high school students from a small rural community, and to undergraduates at historically black colleges and universities.