NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2019: Role of early spontaneous neural activity in neocortical circuit assembly

这项行动资助了2019财年的NSF生物学博士后研究奖学金，扩大了生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。该研究金支持研究员的一项研究和培训计划，该计划将增加在生物学领域代表性不足的群体的参与。该项目旨在进一步了解成年人的行为是如何通过大脑发育过程中发生的事件来塑造的。这些研究将包括新的和有趣的技术，将操纵小鼠的早期大脑活动。国家科学基金会的这些资金还被用于通过开发一个开放访问网站，将代表性不足群体的科学家的成就和研究兴趣存档，改善代表性不足的学生之间的网络联系。作为一个美洲原住民自己，该研究员将访问几个部落学院，以吸引美洲原住民学生进入生物学。整个项目的工作将使未被充分代表的学生参与生物学和科学的许多方面。新的生物发光光遗传学技术将被用来解开神经元亚型的动态相互作用，这些神经元亚型是发育中大脑在不同时间窗口组装的布线蓝图的基础。生物发光光遗传学利用在小分子底物存在下触发的从荧光素酶发射的光来激活拴系的光敏离子通道，用于细胞兴奋性的快速非侵入性操纵。使用这个工具，该项目将测试假设，即在未成熟皮质中遗传决定的人群中，在出生后早期发育期间改变神经活动会改变突触发生和电路组装，从而影响成年生物体中的电路连接和行为。具体而言，研究员将利用脑切片和活体动物的电生理记录：1）表征在整个发育过程中和在成人中由诱导的发育过度活动引起的功能变化，2）定义锥体神经元的层特异性亚型在建立神经回路轨迹中的作用，以及3）确定在出生后发育的不同时期对锥体活动的调节是否具有不同的影响。该项目包括为研究员开展的广泛培训活动，包括科学技能和概念、研究交流和专业技能发展方面的全面培训。此外，该研究员正在对来自代表性不足群体的学生，特别是美洲原住民的学生进行辅导、教学和外联活动，以促进他们的招聘和参与生物学，该奖项反映了国家科学基金会的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来提供支持。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2019, Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology. The fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. This project aims at further understanding how adult behavior is shaped through events that occur during brain development. These studies will include new and interesting techniques that will manipulate early brain activity in mice. These NSF funds are also being used to improve networking among underrepresented students through development of an open access website which archives the achievements and research interests of scientists from underrepresented groups. As a Native American herself, the fellow will visit several tribal colleges to attract Native American students into biology. Work throughout the project will engage underrepresented students in numerous aspects of biology and science in general.New bioluminescent optogenetics technology will be used to unravel the dynamic interactions of subtypes of neurons underlying the wiring blueprint assembled during distinct time windows in the developing brain. Bioluminescent optogenetics utilizes light emitted from a luciferase, triggered in the presence of a small molecule substrate, to activate a tethered light-sensing ion channel, for rapid non-invasive manipulation of cell excitability. Using this tool, the project will test the hypothesis that altering neural activity during early postnatal development in genetically determined populations in the immature cortex modifies synaptogenesis and circuit assembly, and consequently affects circuit connectivity and behavior in the adult organism. Specifically, the Fellow will utilize electrophysiological recordings in brain slices and in live animals to: 1) characterize the functional changes resulting from induced developmental hyperactivity throughout development and in the adult, 2) define the role of layer-specific subtypes of pyramidal neurons in establishing neural circuit trajectories, and 3) determine whether modulation of pyramidal activity during distinct periods of postnatal development will have differential impacts. The project includes wide-ranging training activities for the Fellow, encompassing comprehensive training in scientific skills and concepts, research communication, and development of professional skills. Furthermore, the Fellow is taking on mentoring, teaching and outreach activities towards students from underrepresented groups, particularly Native Americans, in order to promote their recruitment and participation in biology.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.