MCA: Functional genomics of spatial memory

University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC

Investigators

Abstract

Spatial memory is a specialized form of learned navigation characteristic of animals with large, complex brains. The underlying neural circuitry for the “brain’s GPS” has been identified but we lack a complete picture of how this ability evolves. The green-and-black poison frog is the only amphibian known to be capable of spatial memory, creating a unique opportunity to identify genes that enable the evolution of spatial memory by comparing species that vary in memory abilities. To this end, this award will allow the investigator to develop skills that they will use to discover the genetic mechanisms of spatial memory in poison frogs. By comparing species, they will determine the genes that confer the capacity to form spatial memories. In addition, the investigator will partner with the Museum of Life and Science in Durham NC to broaden participation in science and to increase public awareness of science. Together, the Museum and the investigator will host interactive sessions for museum visitors based on the proposed research and create an interpretive panel to accompany the Museum's Poison Frog Exhibit that highlights the cognitive abilities of poison frogs and gives insight into the underlying research process. Despite an intense focus on genomics over the last 25 years, we still lack the ability to predict an organism's phenotype from knowledge of its genome and environment. This award will provide the investigator with a toolset in genomics that they will use to create a model for the functional genomics of spatial memory. By integrating genomics into her research, the investigator will leverage what is known about poison frog cognition to create a model for functional genomics of a complex cognitive trait. To do so, the investigator will partner with Dr. Erich Jarvis at Rockefeller University to acquire foundational skills in three areas: 1) sequencing and annotation of genomes of non-model organisms; 2) identifying gene networks activated by specific experiences; and 3) comparing gene networks across species. The investigator will use these skills to produce a high-quality, annotated genome of Dendrobates auratus, identify memory-associated gene networks expressed in the hippocampus of D. auratus, and test the link between spatial ecology and spatial memory-associated gene networks across species. 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.