Genomics of Neural & Behavioral Plasticity
- Researchers
- Problem
- Research
- Benefits
- Early Successes
Genomics of Neural & Behavioral Plasticity Video - Gene Robinson (DivX Player Needed, download here)
Songbird Genome Organization
An international consortium of scientists aiming to merge the power of genomics with the richness of songbird biology.
Songbird Neurogenomics Initiative
Study of songbirds may illuminate relationships between genes, brains, and behavior.
Social Insects Training Initiative
An Interactive Environment for Analyzing Nature and Nurture in Societal Roles
Background
Researchers
Faculty: Gene E. Robinson (Theme Leader, Entomology), David F. Clayton (Cell and Developmental Biology), Julia M. George (Molecular and Integrative Physiology), Martha U. Gillette (Cell and Developmental Biology), Paul E. Gold (Psychology), Donna L. Korol (Psychology), Yoshitsugu Oono (Physics), Hugh M. Robertson (Entomology), Bruce R. Schatz (Medical Information Science), Lisa J. Stubbs (Cell and Developmental Biology)
Affiliates: Alison M. Bell (Animal Biology), May R. Berenbaum (Entomology), Richard W. Burkhardt (History), Sydney A. Cameron (Entomology), Stephanie S. Ceman (Cell and Developmental Biology), Rebecca Fuller (Animal Biology), Rhanor Gillette (Molecular and Integrative Physiology), Nigel D. Goldenfeld (Physics), William T. Greenough (Psychology), Joshua M. Gulley (Psychology), Matthew E. Hudson (Crop Sciences), Jian Ma (Bioengineering), Ping Ma (Statistics), Craig A. Mizzen (Cell and Developmental Biology), Justin S. Rhodes (Psychology), Alfred Roca (Animal Sciences), Sandra L. Rodriguez-Zas (Animal Sciences), Saurabh Sinha (Computer Science), Andrew V. Suarez (Animal Biology), Jonathan V. Sweedler (Chemistry), Charles W. Whitfield (Entomology), Carl R. Woese (Microbiology), ChengXiang Zhai (Computer Science), Sheng Zhong (Bioengineering), Wenxuan Zhong (Statistics)
Problem
How does the genome help orchestrate complex forms of behavior? There are two master control systems, the brain and the genome. The role of the brain in behavior is immediately obvious to most people, but the role of the genome is less so — or in some cases, even controversial (e.g., “nature vs. nurture”).
Research
The Genomics of Neural and Behavioral Plasticity Research Theme draws together a team of researchers from neuroscience, animal behavior, ecology and evolutionary biology, informatics, and physics to examine four interrelated domains of neuroscience, behavior, and genomic biology:
- How the nervous system responds to environmental stimuli, including social stimuli involved in auditory and olfactory communication
- How some types of stimuli are able to affect the genome by altering gene expression in the brain
- How changes in gene expression result in changes in brain and behavior
- How genetic diversity among species contributes to the diversity or conservation of behavioral responses to common environmental stimuli
The theme will address these issues by studying various “neurogenomic decision-making systems” in a diverse array of animals, both in the lab and in the field. Theoretical approaches from physics will be used to help search for deep generalizations, and informatics will be used to search for common genomic mechanisms in different animal systems.
Benefits
By building synthesis across these systems, researchers hope to gain a fuller appreciation of how the genome and the brain control behavior. Findings in this area may have practical application in the development of medical therapeutics for mental health, aging, and developmental disorders.
Early Successes
The BeeSpace project is funded by a $5 million, five-year grant from the National Science Foundation’s Frontiers in Integrative Biological Research (NSF FIBR) program (Bruce Schatz, PI). BeeSpace will analyze social behavior on a whole-genome scale, using the honey bee as the model organism. The project incorporates both biological and informatics research to generate a comprehensive, interactive database of gene expression. New text-mining technology is integrating molecular description with information from physiology, behavior, neuroscience, and evolution.
The Songbird Neurogenomics (SoNG) Initiative is in its fourth year of an eight-year, $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (David Clayton, PI). The SoNG Initiative merges the power of genomics with the richness of songbird biology to explore the evolution, development, and control of neural systems for vocal learning and communication.
