2008 Undergraduate Poster Award

Neuroscience 2008, Washington - German Graduate Schools of Neuroscience award Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN) undergrad with trip to German neuroscience hotspots.

Congratulations!

Senoir Gregory L. Sousa of Bates College, Maine won a one week trip to selected neuroscience hotspots in Germany. “I am overwhelmed”, the lucky winner said.

The award is sponsored by undefinedGerman Graduate Schools of Neuroscience and awarded in co-operation with the undefinedFaculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN).

Dr. Jens Dreier and PhD student Francesco Boato of Berlins’ International Graduate Program Medical Neurosciences as well as Prof. Gabriele Flügge and Prof. Eberhard Fuchs of the Göttingen Graduate School of Neurosciences and Molecular Biology judged his poster best of 14 nominations. The topic was “Distribution and impact of neuropeptide F (NPF) within the buccal feeding circuitry of the pond snail Helisoma trivolvis”. The judgment was based on the recommendation by the nominating faculty, on the submitted abstract and on the student’s presentation during the poster session.

Runners-up were Sarah Peruzzaro of the University of Portland and Nora Pencheva of Kenyon College, Ohio. A large and lively audience of more than 150 undergrads and faculty watched the award ceremony during the FUN Social in the Renaissance Washington Grand Ballroom on 17 November, hosted by FUN presidents Mary Harrington, Bruce Johnson and Christopher Korey.

The 2007 prize winner, Ke Xu of Harvard University, visited neuroscience schools in Bochum, Göttingen and Berlin this past summer. Pooling scientific resources from university and non-university research institutions like Max Planck Institutes, German graduate programs offer a great variety in research labs headed by some of the world’s top scientists in the field. “Personally I could not think of a better environment to do one’s graduate studies than in Göttingen”, Ke Xu said.

Information on the Winning Poster

Author: G.L. Sousa, N.W. Kleckner

Title: Distribution and impact of neuropeptide F (NPF) within the buccal feeding circuitry of the pond snail Helisoma trivolvis.

Abstract:
Neuropeptide tyrosine (NPY) and its related peptides constitute one of  the largest and most highly conserved vertebrate peptide families.  Members of the NPY family are known to modulate a vast array of  physiological functions/properties including blood pressure, ingestion,  sexual behavior, and circadian rhythmicity. Interestingly, the  invertebrate NPY homologue neuropeptide phenylalanine (NPF) is also  thought to play a role in feeding and feeding-related behaviors.  Recently, the /Aplysia californica /NPY homolog (apNPY) was found to  cause satiation via a reconfiguration of the feeding central pattern  generator (CPG). The esophageal origin of the peptides suggested that  there may be an ingestion induced feedback mechanism contributing to /A.  californica/ satiation. Moreover, NPF or NPF-like substances have also  been identified in the pulmonates /Lymnaea stagnalis/ and /Helix  aspersa/. The purpose of these experiments was to determine the  distribution of NPF-like molecules within the CNS of the pond snail  /Helisoma trivolvis/ and to ascertain the impact of NPF on the feeding  CPG. The whole central nervous system from /Helisoma/ was isolated and  pinned to Sylgard dishes for processing for immunohistochemistry with a  polyclonal antibody generated against the carboxy terminus of /A.  californica/ NPF. Immunopositive somata were observed throughout the  CNS, including a bilaterally symmetric cell cluster located on the  caudal surface of the buccal ganglia. Moreover, numerous immunoreactive  processes were observed within the esophagus and the esophageal nerves.  This distribution led us to consider the impact of NPF on the /H.  trivolvis/ feeding CPG. To date, no NPF sequences are known for /H.  trivolvis/. Intracellular recordings from phase 1-3 motor neurons are  currently being undertaken in the presence of /L. stagnalis/ NPF (LyNPF)  to determine possible impacts on buccal motor function.