PostDoctoral Research Fellowship

极地博士后研究将研究调节北极繁殖的鸣鸟Lapland Longspur(Calcarius Lapponicus)昼夜节律持续的分子和神经生物学机制。昼夜节律是大多数生物体行为和生理的时间组织所不可或缺的，并且主要通过昼夜的明暗循环来同步。在极地地区，一年中的大部分时间里，持续的光明或黑暗盛行，导致大多数极地动物放弃了昼夜节律。这一规则的一个例外是北极繁殖的候鸟--尽管它们在高纬度繁殖地暴露在持续的日光下，它们仍保持着节律性。这位博士后将接受神经生物学技术方面的培训，以检查两个昼夜节律振荡器：下丘脑和松果体的时钟基因表达模式(PPer2)。申请者将(1)将时钟基因的表达与自由生活的长刺的生物节律联系起来，(2)评估活动和pPer2表达的节律是否是内源性的，以及(3)确定这种节律是否伴随着极日的低幅度节律。这项拟议工作的智力价值在于理解极地动物昼夜节律功能的分子和神经生物学基础。该项目是首次对极地候鸟的计时基因进行检测。更广泛的影响包括为两名阿拉斯加原住民高中生提供夏季现场技术人员的津贴。研究结果将对人类季节性情感障碍的治疗产生影响。申请者将接受两名赞助科学家的研究和职业指导。

The Polar Postdoctoral Research will examine the molecular and neurobiological mechanisms that regulate the persistence of a circadian rhythm in an arctic-breeding songbird, the Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus). Circadian rhythms are integral to the temporal organization of behavior and physiology of most organisms, and are primarily synchronized by the light-dark cycle of day and night. In polar regions, continuous light or darkness prevails for much of the year, leading to abandonment of circadian rhythmicity in most polar animals. An exception to this rule is arctic-breeding migratory songbirds-- they maintain rhythmicity despite exposure to continuous daylight on their high-latitude breeding grounds. The postdoctoral fellow will receive training in neurobiological techniques to examine patterns of clock gene expression (pPer2) in two circadian oscillators: the hypothalamus and pineal gland. The applicant will (1) correlate clock gene expression with biological rhythms in free-living longspurs, (2) evaluate if rhythms in activity and pPer2 expression are endogenous, and (3) determine if such rhythms entrain to low-amplitude zeitgebers of polar day. The intellectual merit of the proposed work lies in understanding the molecular and neurobiological basis of circadian function in polar animals. The project is the first study to examine time-keeping genes in polar migrants. The broader impacts include funding the stipends for two Alaskan Native high school students as summer field technicians. Research results will have implications for the treatment of seasonal affective disorder in humans. The applicant will receive research and career guidance from two sponsoring scientists.