The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a 5-year, $1,000,000 Project Grant under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) to the University of Florida (UF) Division of Sponsored Research. The funding will support an interdisciplinary study on ctenophores (marine animals) to uncover new classes of signal molecules and factors driving the emergence of neural circuits and behaviors. The research aims to address fundamental questions in neuroscience about the evolution of neural systems and the origins of biological complexity. The project will utilize advanced technologies like single-cell multi-omics, connectivity mapping, and functional approaches to identify novel neurotransmitters and neural specification molecules. This will enable the reconstruction of ancestral neural toolkits and cell populations in ctenophores. The findings are expected to open new horizons for synthetic biomedicine and provide training opportunities that integrate neuroscience and biodiversity research for students from underrepresented groups.