The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $300,000 Project Grant under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) to the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) to investigate the evolution of neural cell types and circuits in the insect visual system. The 5-year project will use a comparative approach to explore neural differences across mosquitoes, house flies, and butterflies, with a focus on understanding how genetic and neural changes influence specific behaviors. The project will utilize state-of-the-art genomic and genetic techniques to characterize visual neuropils, identify cell type-specific enhancers, and functionally test the role of neural composition and wiring in behavior. Broader impacts include engaging high school students from underserved communities in hands-on research and developing an educational module on genome editing.
Generated 1/28/25, 7:26 AM