LABORATORY CULTURE OF HERMISSENDA

这项研究项目的主要目标是并将继续是 开发可靠的方法使裸目软体动物， 粗角牧羊犬，在实验室培养中饲养和维护 为了将其确立为标准化的非哺乳动物海洋 用于生物医学研究的实验动物。遗传的，营养的， 每个成年人的行为、环境经历和病史 定义是因为它们将由精确建立的方法产生。 它们将是无病的，它们的性能和可靠性 研究用途将变得更少，因此更具可预测性。这一努力 将支持越来越多地使用Hermissenda作为高度连接模型 用于学习和记忆研究。 朝着最初的具体目标优化幼虫营养和 抑制幼虫成功培养的兼性病原菌的控制 从蜕变到蜕变，我们一直是成功的。我们现在可以可靠地 贯穿其整个生命周期的后遗症：从蛋到蛋 F2一代，现在我们将努力实现(1)最大化 高繁殖率和高发育率的成虫维持条件 稳定的全年基础；(2)最大限度地提高幼虫的能力，变质 探索自然和人工诱导和幼鱼生长 变质诱导剂和饮食；(3)形态上的定义和分期 主要幼虫和幼虫器官系统的个体发育 神经系统及其神经化学递质的作用 实验操作和有毒类似物的使用；(4)选择， 特定自交系遗传同质性的建立和检测 能很好地适应实验室培养的埃米森达菌株 展示性格特征(学习能力)，这将增强这一点 物种在神经生物学中用作高度连接的模型系统。

The major objective of this research project is and continues to be the development of methods which will reliably enable the nudibranch mollusc, Hermissenda crassicornis, to be reared and maintained in laboratory culture for the purpose of establishing it as a standardized, non-mammalian, marine laboratory animal for biomedical research. The genetic, trophic, behavioral, and environmental experience and history of each adult can be defined because they will be produced by precisely established methods. They will be disease free and their performance and reliability for research use will be less variable and hence more predictable. this effort will support the growing use of Hermissenda as a high connectivity model for learning and memory studies. Towards the original specific aims of optimizing larval nutrition and control of facultative pathogens inhibiting successful larval culture through to metamorphosis, we have been successful. We can now reliably rear Hermissenda through its entire life cycle: from egg to egg through the F2 generation and will now extend our efforts towards (1) maximizing adult maintenance conditions for high fecundity and development rates on a steady year-round basis; (2) maximizing larval competency, metamorphic induction and juvenile growth through exploring natural and artificial metamorphic inducers and diets; (3) defining and staging morphologically the ontogeny of major larval and juvenile organ systems to include th nervous system and the role of its neurochemical transmitters by experimental manipulations and using toxic analogs; (4) selecting, establishing, and testing the genetic homogeneity of specific inbred strains of Hermissenda that are well-adapted to laboratory culture and display character traits (learning abilities) which will enhance this species use as a high connectivity model system in neurobiology.