Collaborative Research: EAGER: Neurophysiological Basis of the Light-Dependent Magnetic Compass in Birds

动物普遍具有探测地球磁场并利用磁场信息确定方向的能力。最近的证据支持夜间迁徙鸣禽的化学、光依赖、自由基对磁接受机制。本研究的目的是验证一种假设，即鸟类视觉皮层的子区域Cluster-N类似于哺乳动物的视觉皮层，处理光介导的磁罗盘信息，并探索Cluster-N神经元尖峰模式中编码的空间磁图。更好地理解“教科书”五种感官之外的更广泛的感觉处理，为跨越多个学术水平的广泛教育影响提供了一个场所。该项目的研究目标是为两名研究生提供跨学科的物理、行为和神经生物学的交叉训练。其中一位pi是加州大学圣地亚哥分校神经科学研究生项目的主任。该机构负责监督一个已建立并成功的K-12教育推广项目，其广泛目标是与圣地亚哥的学生和社区成员分享大脑和神经科学研究的知识。研究生和pi将直接与圣地亚哥联合学区和其他附近学区的高中生和教师合作，开发提供（和展示）给每所学校的互动科学教学模块，并领导教师培训计划。该项目目前提供四个神经科学模块，可以由加州大学圣地亚哥分校的研究人员或经过该小组培训的高中教师领导。目前的模块介绍比较神经解剖学，脑解剖，电生理学和组织学。pi目前正在围绕传感系统创建第五个模块，并计划在这个新模块中包括磁接收。越来越多的证据支持鸟类前脑视觉区cluster-N参与处理依赖光的磁罗盘的信息，夜间迁徙的鸣禽用磁罗盘导航。Cluster-N神经元对良好控制的磁场和视觉刺激的电生理反应尚未被研究过，这给我们对这种新型感觉系统的生物学理解留下了深刻的空白。为了填补这一空白，pi利用了两个研究小组的跨学科专业知识：Ritz实验室专注于隐花色素（Cry）光磁接受的生物物理学，genner实验室专注于簇n神经元的感觉电生理学。在Ritz小组提供的建模框架的基础上，genner小组将测试关于电生理光介导的Cluster-N神经元磁反应的cry假设的明确预测。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并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，被认为值得支持。

The ability to detect the earth's magnetic field and use this information for orientation is widespread among animals. Recent evidence supports a chemical, light-dependent, radical-pair magnetoreception mechanism in night-time migratory songbirds. The goal of the proposed work is to test the hypothesis that Cluster-N, a sub-region of the avian visual Wulst analogous to the mammalian visual cortex, processes light-mediated magnetic compass information, and to explore the magnetic map of space encoded in the spiking patterns of Cluster-N neurons. Better understanding of a wider range of sensory processing beyond the "textbook" five senses provides a venue for broad educational impacts that cut across multiple academic levels. The research objectives of the project will provide interdisciplinary training to two graduate students at the interface of physics, behavioral and neuro-biology. One of the PIs is a Director of the UCSD Neurosciences Graduate Program. which oversees an established and successful K-12 education outreach program, with the broad goal of sharing knowledge of the brain and neuroscience research with San Diego students and community members. Graduate students and PIs will work directly with high school students and teachers from San Diego Unified and other nearby school districts to develop interactive science teaching modules provided (and presented) to each school and lead a Teacher Training Program. The program currently offers four neuroscience modules, that can be led by either a UCSD researcher or high school teacher that has been trained by the group. Current modules introduce Comparative Neuroanatomy, Brain Dissection, Electrophysiology, and Histology. The PIs are currently creating a fifth module built around sensory systems, and plan to include magneto-reception in this new module.Converging evidence supports the involvement of an avian forebrain visual area, cluster-N, in processing information for the light-dependent magnetic compass that night-migratory songbirds use to navigate. The electrophysiological responses of Cluster-N neurons to well-controlled magnetic field and visual stimuli have not been examined, leaving a deep gap in our understanding of the biology of this novel sensory system. To fill this gap, the PIs exploit the interdisciplinary expertise of two research groups: the Ritz lab, focused on the biophysics of cryptochrome (Cry) photo-magnetoreception, and the Gentner lab, focused on the sensory electrophysiology of Cluster-N neurons. Building on a modelling framework provided by the Ritz group, the Gentner group will test explicit predictions of the Cry-hypothesis for electrophysiological light-mediated magnetic responses of Cluster-N neurons.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.