NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2019: Role of early spontaneous neural activity in neocortical circuit assembly

2019 财年 NSF 生物学博士后奖学金：早期自发神经活动在新皮质回路组装中的作用

• 批准号: 1906787
• 负责人: Sheenah Bryant
• 金额: $ 13.8万
• 依托单位: Bryant, Sheenah Lynn
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Fellowship Award
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-07-01 至 2021-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1906787&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; Postdoctoral; Fellowship; Biology; FY

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2019, Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology. The fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. This project aims at further understanding how adult behavior is shaped through events that occur during brain development. These studies will include new and interesting techniques that will manipulate early brain activity in mice. These NSF funds are also being used to improve networking among underrepresented students through development of an open access website which archives the achievements and research interests of scientists from underrepresented groups. As a Native American herself, the fellow will visit several tribal colleges to attract Native American students into biology. Work throughout the project will engage underrepresented students in numerous aspects of biology and science in general.New bioluminescent optogenetics technology will be used to unravel the dynamic interactions of subtypes of neurons underlying the wiring blueprint assembled during distinct time windows in the developing brain. Bioluminescent optogenetics utilizes light emitted from a luciferase, triggered in the presence of a small molecule substrate, to activate a tethered light-sensing ion channel, for rapid non-invasive manipulation of cell excitability. Using this tool, the project will test the hypothesis that altering neural activity during early postnatal development in genetically determined populations in the immature cortex modifies synaptogenesis and circuit assembly, and consequently affects circuit connectivity and behavior in the adult organism. Specifically, the Fellow will utilize electrophysiological recordings in brain slices and in live animals to: 1) characterize the functional changes resulting from induced developmental hyperactivity throughout development and in the adult, 2) define the role of layer-specific subtypes of pyramidal neurons in establishing neural circuit trajectories, and 3) determine whether modulation of pyramidal activity during distinct periods of postnatal development will have differential impacts. The project includes wide-ranging training activities for the Fellow, encompassing comprehensive training in scientific skills and concepts, research communication, and development of professional skills. Furthermore, the Fellow is taking on mentoring, teaching and outreach activities towards students from underrepresented groups, particularly Native Americans, in order to promote their recruitment and participation in biology.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该行动为2019财年美国国家科学基金会生物学博士后研究奖学金提供资金，扩大生物学中代表性不足群体的参与。该奖学金支持研究员的一项研究和培训计划，该计划将增加生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。该项目旨在进一步了解成人行为是如何通过大脑发育过程中发生的事件形成的。这些研究将包括新的、有趣的技术，这些技术将操纵小鼠的早期大脑活动。这些国家科学基金会的资金也被用于通过开发一个开放获取网站来改善弱势群体学生之间的网络，该网站将来自弱势群体的科学家的成就和研究兴趣存档。作为一名印第安人，她将访问几所部落学院，吸引印第安学生学习生物学。整个项目的工作将涉及生物学和一般科学的许多方面的代表性不足的学生。新的生物发光光遗传学技术将用于揭示神经元亚型之间的动态相互作用，这些神经元亚型是在发育中的大脑中不同时间窗口内组装的线路蓝图的基础。生物发光光遗传学利用荧光素酶发出的光，在小分子底物的存在下触发，激活系留的光感应离子通道，用于快速非侵入性地操纵细胞兴奋性。利用这一工具，该项目将测试一个假设，即在未成熟皮层的遗传决定人群中，在出生后早期发育过程中改变神经活动会改变突触发生和电路组装，从而影响成年生物体的电路连接和行为。具体来说，该研究员将利用脑切片和活体动物的电生理记录来：1)描述在整个发育过程中和成年期诱导发育亢进导致的功能变化；2)定义锥体神经元的层特异性亚型在建立神经回路轨迹中的作用；3)确定锥体活动在不同时期的调节是否会产生不同的影响。该项目包括对研究员的广泛培训活动，包括科学技能和概念、研究交流和专业技能发展方面的全面培训。此外，该研究员正在对代表性不足的群体，特别是美洲土著的学生进行指导、教学和外联活动，以促进他们的征聘和参与生物学。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。