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

美国国家科学基金会生物学博士后奖学金：研究环境操纵揭示的新型昼夜节律机制

• 批准号: 2305609
• 负责人: David Ehichioya
• 金额: $ 24万
• 依托单位: Ehichioya, David Ehireme
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Fellowship Award
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-02-01 至 2027-01-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2305609&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; Postdoctoral; Fellowship; Biology; Investigating

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.

该行动资助 2023 财年 NSF 生物学博士后研究奖学金，扩大生物学领域代表性不足的群体的参与。该奖学金支持研究员的研究和培训计划，该计划将增加动物领域代表性不足的群体的参与。包括睡眠、活动和进食在内的各种功能都有每天 24 小时（昼夜节律）的节律，这些节律由哺乳动物体内的生物钟控制。大多数研究都集中在大脑的中央时钟，即视交叉上核（SCN），它与外部明暗环境同步，但对其他时钟及其时间知之甚少。该研究员和同事有证据表明，操纵光可以挽救 SCN 功能受损的小鼠的日常节律，通过这项研究，该研究员将确定该时钟在大脑中的位置以及该时钟的机制。增进我们对该奖学金将提供昼夜节律和神经解剖学方面的培训，以及规划和协调外展活动的机会，以将科学知识传播给来自不同背景的年轻一代学习者。该项目将探讨一种新型非生物钟的作用。该研究员将研究一种典型昼夜节律被禁用的动物模型，该模型是发现视交叉上核外起搏器位置的特殊工具。通过筛选大脑中表现出昼夜节律的区域，该研究员将使用 c-Fos 表达的全脑成像来绘制新的昼夜节律神经回路。此外，该研究员还将通过药理学操纵多巴胺信号传导，以研究多巴胺在驱动昼夜节律中的作用。在缺乏规范时钟基因的情况下，培训计划通过两种方式增加了代表性不足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，同时提高个人和职业发展。其次，通过分享昼夜节律知识以及通过教育推广开展该项目所获得的经验，该项目的影响将扩大，这将增强科学领域代表性不足的人的能力。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并被认为是值得的。通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来获得支持。