NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology: Investigating a Novel Circadian Time-Keeping Mechanism Revealed by Environmental Manipulation

该行动资助了美国国家科学基金会2023财年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。在动物中，许多基本的生物功能，包括睡眠、活动和进食，都有24小时的昼夜节律。这些节奏是由体内生物钟控制的。哺乳动物的计时系统很复杂，大脑和身体中有多个时钟。大多数研究都集中在大脑中的中央时钟，即视交叉上核（SCN），它与外部明暗环境同步。但人们对其他时钟及其计时机制知之甚少。这名研究员及其同事有证据表明，操纵光线可以挽救SCN功能受损的小鼠的日常节律。通过这项研究，研究员将确定这个时钟在大脑中的位置和机制。本研究结果将促进我们对昼夜节律保持机制的理解。该奖学金将提供昼夜节律和神经解剖学方面的培训，并提供计划和协调外展活动的机会，以向来自不同背景的年轻一代学习者扩展科学知识。该项目将探索一种新的非规范时钟机制在产生昼夜节律中的作用。该研究员将研究一种动物模型，其中标准昼夜节律被禁用。这个模型是一个特殊的工具，通过筛选大脑中表现昼夜节律的区域来发现额外的scn起搏器的位置。该研究员将利用c-Fos表达的全脑成像来绘制新的昼夜神经回路。此外，他还将从药理学上操纵多巴胺信号，以研究在缺乏标准时钟基因的情况下，多巴胺在驱动昼夜节律中的作用。该培训计划从两个方面增加了未被充分代表的群体对生物学的参与。首先，培训计划将培养研究员的研究兴趣，同时提高个人和专业发展，成为一名独立的研究人员。其次，通过教育外展分享昼夜节律知识和在开展该项目的过程中获得的经验，将扩大该项目的影响，这将赋予科学界代表性不足的人权力。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 2023, Broadening Participation of Groups Underrepresented in Biology. The Fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. In animals, many essential biological functions, including sleep, activity, and feeding have daily 24-h (circadian) rhythms. These rhythms are controlled by internal body clocks. In mammals, the time-keeping system is complex with multiple clocks located in the brain and the body. Most studies have focused on the central clock in the brain, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which synchronizes with the external light-dark environment. But little is known about the other clocks and their time-keeping mechanism. The fellow and colleagues have evidence that manipulation of light can rescue daily rhythms in mice with disrupted SCN function. Through this research, the fellow will identify the location in the brain and the mechanism of this clock. Results from this study will advance our understanding of the circadian time-keeping mechanism. The fellowship will provide training in circadian rhythms and neuroanatomy and opportunities to plan and coordinate outreach activities to extend scientific knowledge to a young generation of learners from diverse backgrounds.This project will explore the role of a novel non-canonical clock mechanism in generating circadian rhythms. The fellow will study an animal model in which the canonical circadian rhythm is disabled. This model is an exceptional tool to discover the locus of the extra-SCN pacemaker(s) by screening the brain for areas that exhibit circadian rhythms. The fellow will map novel circadian neural circuits using whole-brain imaging of c-Fos expression. In addition, the fellow will pharmacologically manipulate dopamine signaling to investigate the role of dopamine in driving circadian rhythms in the absence of canonical clock genes. The training plan increases the participation of underrepresented groups in biology in two ways. First, the training plan will foster the fellow’s research interests while improving personal and professional development to become an independent researcher. Second, the impact of this project will be broadened by sharing knowledge of circadian rhythms and the experience gained in conducting this project through educational outreach that will empower underrepresented people in science.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.