CURE Examples

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Drosophila as a Model Organism for Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Rick Topinka, American River College
There is concern that chemical exposure may contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) such as autism. Drosophila (fruit fly) is a model system for NDDs and flies with mutations in genes homologous to known human autism-risk genes exhibit behavioral abnormalities. As part of the course-based undergraduate research experience in this biology class we will be exposing developing flies to environmental toxins and measuring one aspect of their behavior, either mating behavior or grooming behavior. In addition, we will be investigating whether neural development is impaired in these flies using dissection and fluorescent labeling of particular brain structures.

Discipline: Life Sciences:Ecology, Molecular Biology, Life Sciences, Genetics, Anatomy and Physiology
Core Competencies: Analyzing and interpreting data, Planning and carrying out investigations, Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering), Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
Nature of Research: Basic Research
State: California
Target Audience: Major
CURE Duration: Half a term