NSF Award
9808834
LAY ABSTRACT IBN-9808834 Several animal model systems have been successful in illuminating our understanding of how the nervous system controls behavior. The response of female crickets to behaviorally significant sounds representing potential mates is one of these models and it offers several advantages. Most important the cricket's nervous system is rather accessible and single, identified auditory nerve cells play demonstrably important roles in the regulation of the rather complex orientation response of females to the calls of males. The single nerve cells can be photoinactivated (killing an individual cell using a laser and a fluorescent dye) prior to behavioral testing, to determine that cell's role in behavior. The goal of studying this system has been, and will continue to be to determine how the cells involved in the auditory system work together in a circuit to allow the female cricket to recognize the calling song of the male of its species and to locate the source of that call. Since most animals and human communication systems also involve recognition and localization of the communicative signal, what is learned by examining this model system will further our understanding how animal communication is accomplished and controlled by nervous systems in general. Besides these goals, which focus on increasing our understanding of communication systems, several other accomplishments are planned. Post-doctoral opportunities will involve training and experience in neurobiology including learning/using these photoinactivation/behavioral techniques to evaluate causal relationships between nerve cell activity and behavior. The investigators of the grant and these post-doctoral candidates will provide specific training and involve several graduate students (at the MS level) and undergraduates in this research. The research trai ning program at Andrews University, where this work will be done, has and will continue to attract minorities and women into laboratory courses that lead to opportunities for undergraduate research including research opportunities in neurobiology outlined in this proposal. Many of the students that participate in such a project would be able to continue on for more advanced training in the rapidly growing fields of neuroscience.
