Research Initiation Award: Role of Astrocytes in the Development of Synchronized Bursting Behavior in Neuronal Networks

研究启动奖(RIA)为开始建立研究计划的历史黑人学院和大学(HBCU)的初级教师提供支持，以及为需要重新定向和重建研究计划或需要建立研究计划的职业中期教师提供支持。预计该奖项有助于进一步提高教职员工的研究能力和有效性，改善研究人员所在机构的研究和教学，并让本科生参与研究经验。特拉华州立大学2014-2016年的研究启动奖旨在解决在理解神经胶质细胞在大脑发育的一个非常重要的方面--产生同步神经元活动--中所扮演的角色方面的一个重大空白。它结合多电极电生理学和分子遗传学的方法，研究神经胶质细胞和神经元如何相互作用形成复杂的功能网络，并探索GPCR介导的细胞内钙离子释放与神经胶质递质胞吐之间的联系。这项研究有以下具体目标：--表征单独培养的胚胎神经元和与神经胶质细胞培养的胚胎神经元突触发育和网络活动的差异，多电极电生理学和钙+成像分别测量鸡胚神经元和神经胶质细胞的活动。--利用显性负表达策略干扰星形胶质细胞与神经元共同培养的特定GPCR通路，mGluR，P2y1和GABAB，研究神经胶质影响发育神经元的具体机制。该项目涉及来自特拉华州立大学和特拉华州立大学早期学院高中的七(7)名本科生和高中生。这项研究的结果有助于更清楚地了解神经胶质细胞在突触功能和神经元网络活动的发展、维持和调节中的作用，并与开发有效的癫痫治疗方法有直接关系。癫痫是一种由不适当的同步放电产生的病理状态。

Research Initiation Awards (RIAs) provide support for junior faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who are starting to build a research program, as well as for mid-career faculty who need to redirect and rebuild a research program or need to build a research program. It is expected that the award helps to further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness, improves research and teaching at the researcher's home institution and involves undergraduate students in research experiences. Delaware State University's Research Initiation Award for the period of 2014-2016 addresses a major gap in understanding the role of glial cells in a very important aspect of brain development-generation of synchronous neuronal activity. It combines multi-electrode electrophysiology and molecular genetic approaches to investigate how glia and neurons interact to form complex functional networks and explores the link between GPCR mediated intracellular Ca++ release to gliotransmitter exocytosis. The research has the following specific aims:--to characterize differences in synaptic development and network activity in embryonic neurons cultured alone and with glia, multi-electrode electrophysiology and Ca++ imaging to measure the activity of neurons and glial cells from chicken embryos separately and in co-cultures.--to investigate the specific mechanisms of glial influence on developing neurons use of a dominant negative expression strategy to disrupt specific GPCR pathways, mGluR, P2y1 and GABAB in astrocytes co-cultured with neurons.The project engages seven (7) undergraduate and high school students from Delaware State University and Delaware State University's Early College High School in research experiences. The results of the study contribute to a clearer understanding of the role of glia in the development, maintenance and modulation of synaptic function and neuronal network activity and has a direct bearing on developing effective therapies for epilepsy, a pathological condition emerging from inappropriate synchronous firing.