NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: Neural basis of coordinated, multi-limbed movement in an emerging model tardigrade species

该行动资助2021财年美国国家科学基金会生物学博士后研究奖学金，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研究和培训计划，该计划将增加在生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。本研究开发了一种新的微观动物系统工具，可以直接观察整个大脑和全身神经系统-在复杂行为的表现过程中。特别是，先进的遗传和微观方法将使活体大脑和神经系统可视化，而动物正在行走和对环境刺激的变化做出反应。这将使我们更好地理解各种复杂的行为和紊乱，以及神经系统组织的共同原则如何在各种形式的生命中共享。为了扩大对科学的参与，该研究员将在主办机构建立一个新的博士后兴趣小组，讨论学术界的反残疾问题。该研究员还将组织一个为期一周的培训计划，为西班牙裔服务机构的本科生研究人员提供培训，为成为未来的学术研究人员指明道路。基因组编辑和尖端显微镜技术的进步使得在体内小而透明的模式生物中对神经元活动进行单细胞分辨率成像成为可能，这使得探索神经科学的基础问题变得越来越容易。在这里，这个项目开发了一种被称为缓步动物的微观动物，作为一种新的模型系统，用于趋同的系统级神经科学。与秀丽隐杆线虫相比，缓步动物有更复杂的神经系统，能够协调多肢运动，但它们保留了许多适合实验室的品质。本工作建立了典型水熊虫的转基因方法，并产生了一株遗传编码的钙指示剂GCaMP缓步动物。随后，活体缓步动物的全脑、全身神经动力学将被表征，而动物则经历不同的行为：在定制的微流体装置中受到约束，自由移动，以及在滑行过程中。行为分析利用薄片显微镜和高分辨率录像在体内。这项高度跨学科的研究将对理解全局神经动力学如何在多肢生物的运动等更复杂的行为基础上做出重大贡献。为了产生更广泛的影响，该研究员将在加州大学旧金山分校成立一个新的博士后兴趣小组，主题是“理解和挑战学术界的残疾歧视”。这个小组将有定期安排的期刊俱乐部，一个小组网站，在学术会议上的外展活动，以及K12外展活动。此外，将为加州州立大学海峡群岛分校的首次本科生研究人员组织为期一周的以水熊虫为重点的“实验室基础训练营”。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。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2021, 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 research develops tools in a novel microscopic animal system, to directly observe the whole-brain, and the whole-body nervous system—during the performance of complex behaviors. In particular, advanced genetic and microscopic methods will enable visualization of live brains and nervous systems, while animals are walking and responding to shifts in environmental stimuli. This will allow for a better understanding of a wide range of complex behaviors and disorders, and how common principles of nervous system organization are shared among various forms of life. To broaden participation in science, the Fellow will establish a new postdoctoral interest group at the host institution on the topic of anti-ableism in academia. The Fellow will also organize a week-long training program for undergraduate researchers at a Hispanic-serving institution, illuminating the path to becoming a future academic researcher. Advances in genome editing and cutting-edge microscopy have allowed for single-cell resolution imaging of neuronal activity in small, transparent model organisms in vivo—making the exploration of foundational questions in neuroscience increasingly accessible. Here, this project develops the microscopic animal known as the tardigrade as a new model system for convergent, systems-level neuroscience. Compared to C. elegans, tardigrades have more complex nervous systems capable of coordinated multi-limbed locomotion, yet they retain many lab-friendly qualities. This work establishes methods for transgenics in Hypsibius exemplaris and generates a strain of genetically-encoded calcium indicator GCaMP tardigrades. Subsequently, the whole-brain, whole-body neural dynamics of live tardigrades will be characterized, while animals undergo distinct sets of behaviors: constrained in a custom-built microfluidic device, freely-moving, and during -taxis. Behavioral assays utilize light-sheet microscopy and high-resolution video recordings in vivo. This highly interdisciplinary research will make significant contributions towards understanding how global neural dynamics underlie more complex behavior, such as locomotion, in live multi-limbed organisms. As a broader impact, the Fellow will form a new postdoctoral interest group at UCSF on the topic of “Understanding and challenging ableism in academia.” This group will have regularly scheduled journal clubs, a group website, outreach at academic conferences, and K12 outreach. Additionally, a week-long tardigrade-focused “Lab Fundamentals Bootcamp” will be organized, for first-time undergraduate researchers at California State University Channel Islands.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.