NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: Determining behavioral, neuroendocrine, and genetic predictors of dispersal in colonial tuco-tucos

该行动资助2021财年美国国家科学基金会生物学博士后研究奖学金，扩大生物学中代表性不足群体的参与。该奖学金支持研究员的研究和培训计划，该计划将增加在生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。这项拟议的研究调查了当年轻人离开家庭开始独立生活（分散）时，大脑会发生什么变化。并不是所有的个体都会分散，分散决策的变化会影响个体的社会性，以及存活率、繁殖成功率等。了解某些个体而非其他个体分散的原因，对哺乳动物生物学（包括人类生物学）的许多方面都至关重要。然而，我们对扩散的神经学基础知之甚少。这项研究将是第一次将实验室研究和模拟自然环境的野外围栏研究结合起来，探索分散的神经科学。该研究员将获得尖端神经科学工具的技术培训，同时通过发展支持网络和计划为未被充分代表的少数民族博士后举办研讨会，增加生物学中未被充分代表的群体的参与。本研究调查了种群间的种群传播差异。分散决策的变化，即使是在同一窝的雌性中，也为研究哺乳动物分散决策的神经机制提供了一个不寻常而重要的机会。催产素和多巴胺已被证明与其他啮齿类动物的社会行为差异有关，并且随着个体从幼年到成年的转变，这两种内分泌系统都表现出可塑性。通过量化与扩散相关的形态和行为特征（如体型、社会性下降）、催产素和多巴胺受体密度和分布的特征（受体放射自显影）、催产素和多巴胺基因表达的转录组学分析（RNAseq）以及体内多巴胺神经活动的监测（纤维光度法），将确定圈养动物扩散的预测因素。在描述了与圈养个体扩散相关的神经内分泌途径后，研究员将试图预测半圈养雌性个体的扩散行为，这些雌性个体被圈养在半自然的圈养环境中，因此受到物种典型选择压力的影响。该研究员将掌握rna酶和纤维光度法等技术。该研究员还将为未被充分代表的少数族裔博士后建立一个支持网络，通过促进每两周一次的同行指导圈，为讨论挑战和集思广德的解决方案提供安全空间，并为未被充分代表的少数族裔教师组织一年一度的博士后研讨会，由小组和讲习班讨论如何驾驭学术界和其他职业。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。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2021, 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. The proposed research investigates what changes in the brain when young adults leave their families to begin their lives as independent adults (dispersal). Not all individuals disperse, and variation in dispersal decisions affects how social individuals are, as well as survival rate, reproductive success, and more. Understanding the reasons why some individuals, but not others, disperse is critical to many facets of mammalian—including human—biology. Yet, not much is known about the neurological underpinnings of dispersal. This research will be the first to combine studies in the laboratory and in field enclosures that simulate natural environments to explore the neuroscience of dispersal. The Fellow will gain technical training in cutting-edge neuroscientific tools while increasing the participation of groups underrepresented in biology by developing a support network and planning a symposium for underrepresented minority postdocs. This research investigates dispersal in colonial tuco-tucos (Ctenomys sociabilis), which exhibit within-species differences in dispersal. Variation in dispersal decisions, even within females from the same litter, creates an unusual and important opportunity to examine the neural mechanisms that contribute to dispersal decisions in mammals. Oxytocin and dopamine have been shown to be associated with differences in social behavior in other rodent species, and both endocrine systems exhibit plasticity as individuals transition from juveniles to adults. Predictors of dispersal will be determined in captive animals by quantifying morphological and behavioral features linked to dispersal (e.g. body size, decreased sociality), characterization of oxytocin and dopamine receptor density and distribution (receptor autoradiography), transcriptomic analyses of oxytocin and dopamine gene expression (RNAseq), and monitoring of in vivo dopamine neural activity (fiber photometry). Having characterized neuroendocrine pathways associated with dispersal in captive individuals, the Fellow will attempt to predict the dispersal behavior of semi-captive females, housed in semi-natural enclosures and therefore subject to species-typical selective pressures. The Fellow will master techniques including RNAseq and fiber photometry. The Fellow will also develop a support network for underrepresented minority postdocs, by facilitating biweekly peer mentoring circles to provide a safe space to discuss challenges and hive-mind solutions, and organizing an annual symposium for postdocs with panels and workshops by underrepresented minority faculty on navigating academia and alternative careers.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.