Mechanisms of Basal Forebrain Control Over Sensory Processing

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PROJECT SUMMARY The overarching goals of the parent award are to develop a mechanistic understanding of how neural circuits in the basal forebrain impact sensory processing. Toward this, the proposed Aims in the parent award test the hypothesis that effects of attention, arousal, and reward prediction on olfactory processing rely on precisely timed, cholinergic signaling within the basal forebrain controlling projection output to the olfactory bulb. This hypothesis is being tested using a combination of viral genetic engineering, transgenic mouse models, in vivo two-photon imaging, fiber photometry, mouse behavior, and slice electrophysiology. These complex experimental paradigms have relatively long timelines for generating mice, performing surgeries, recovery, training, and data collection. Pausing experimentation for maternity leave would not only disrupt ongoing experiments, but it would seriously impact future experiments requiring the breeding, preparation, and training of mice. This supplement proposal seeks to avoid a significant disruption in continuity during the maternity leave of the parent award PI by providing for (1) a part-time technician for nine months and (2) data storage server hardware allowing secure, remote access and collaboration across multiple users. The role of the technician will first be to maintain ongoing mouse experimentation as the PI is fully on leave. Then, as the PI returns from leave part time, the role of the technician will shift to a combination of maintaining experiments, processing data, and preparing mice for future slice electrophysiology experiments. Finally, as the PI returns to work full time the role of the technician will be to maintain the continuity of behavioral experimentation in the case that flexible scheduling is required on the part of the PI due to the unpredictable nature of childcare. At the same time, implementing a remotely accessible data storage server will enable real time collaboration between the technician and the PI for the duration of leave and after returning to work full time. Together these resources will help maximize productivity and promote continuity of the parent award during the maternity leave of the parent award PI.