SGER: cDNA Microarray for Studies of Sexual Communication

基因芯片分析在生物医学研究中已经得到了广泛的应用，但这种研究方法还没有发展到非生物医学生物中。将开发一种用于研究通加拉蛙的脑行为和社会性行为的基因芯片。金枪蛙长期以来一直是研究性选择和行为交流进化的模式生物。将比较不同繁殖行为的青蛙的基因表达谱，以检查这些表达谱在物种群体中的进化。这些结果将直接应用于神经生物学、遗传学、进化论和行为学的相关研究。更广泛的影响是，这项技术将广泛应用于以前没有使用过的行为领域。此外，这项研究还将补充其他生物学领域的项目，包括发育和种群遗传学，也旨在了解遗传变异和维持多样性。该项目将涉及本科生、研究生和博士后，他们将参与项目的所有方面。

cDNA microarray analyses have been used extensively in biomedical research, however this research approach has not been developed for nonbio-medical organisms. A cDNA microarray will be developed for studying brain behavior and socio-sexual behavior in the Tungara frog. The Tungara frog has long been a model organism for studying sexual selection and the evolution of behavioral communication. Gene expression profiles will be compared in frogs performing different reproductive behaviors to examine the evolution of those expression profiles within a species group. The results will have direct application to related studies in neurobiology, genetics, evolution, and behavior. The broader impacts are that the technique will have broad application to an area of behavior for which it has not previously been available. Also, this research will complement projects in other fields of biology including development and population genetics also aimed at understanding genetic variation and the maintenance of diversity. The project will involve undergraduates, a graduate student, and a post doc who will be involved in all aspects of the project.