CIRCADIAN CLOCK MECHANISMS IN THE BRAIN AND PERIPHERAL ORGANS

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Many aspects of human physiology, including onset of sleep, are thought to be controlled by a circadian clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the brain. However, there is now compelling evidence that other oscillator circuits may also be involved. This "Partners-in-Science" project gives a high-school teacher the opportunity to examine how different brain regions and different peripheral organs regulate circadian physiology in rhesus macaques. Specifically, he is learning how to analyze GeneChip microarrays and how to perform RT-PCR. These methodologies will enable him to examine how the expression of clock-related genes in different parts of the body is affected by aging and changes in photoperiod. The teacher completed the first year of his 2-year training and recently presented some of his results at the annual national Partners-in-Science meeting.