NEUR 1640 PROJECTS

Recent advances in molecular biology and molecular genetics have allowed researchers to test specific hypotheses concerning the genetic control of behavior and neurological disease.  

What is NEUR1640: Behavioral Neurogenetics Laboratory?
NEUR1640 is a course based laboratory experience (CURE) that familiarizes students with the relatively new and exciting field of neurogenetics, and provides hands-on experience in developing and conducting behavioral neurogenetic experiments using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. In this course students work in groups to perform original behavioral neurogenetics research using Drosophila. 

What are the Learning Objectives?
Students learn how to understand the primary literature, gain expertise in the design and implementation of basic fly genetics, behavioral testing and analysis of tracking data, and the preparation of research reports associated with laboratory work. Throughout the course we discuss the appropriateness, use, and limitations of animal models and human models for studying pathology, run real experiments with live animals, and collect, analyze, interpret, and write up results associated with those experiments, and present data at the end of the term in creative ways.

What Type of Research Projects Do Students Perform?
Prof. Kaun collaborates with fly labs on campus to find original never-before-performed research projects that students carry out. These projects are the type that are typically carried out by undergraduate and graduate students in research labs. Students are typically given a mutant or transgenic animal with modification in a subset of brain cells, and they work in small groups to develop, perform, and analyze behavior experiments that address how this gene impacts cell function.