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Animals rely on their sensory system to find food and avoid predators. Although olfaction and gustation have been well studied, effect of mechanosensation on food search is underexplored although touch is used frequently in human infants. WE propose to use a model animal to study this.
Caenorhabditis elegans is a bacterivorous nematode. The genetic tractability, short developmental phase of 2-3 days, and optically transparent soma of 1 mm length make it a very useful model for studying the development of sensory systems for touch, taste and odours. In our ongoing work, we have found that chemosensory function is gained late in larval development. We hypothesize that the mechanosensory system develops early in the development of worms and larvae use touch modality (texture of food bacteria, mucoidy) to find food. Specifically, we hypothesize that PVD neurons with dendrites underlying the entire body wall develop early during development and assist in mechanosensation-based food search. In this project, we will use an imaging-based approach to study the formation of the dendritic arbour of GFP expressing PVD neuron in larval stages L1, L2, L3 and L4. We will also perform functional mechanosensation analysis (touch response) in all 4 larval stages. Finally, we will study the food choice behaviour of all 4 larval stages when bacteria with differing textures (Escherichia coli, nonpathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis) are presented as food choices.
As part of this project, you will learn C. elegans maintenance, touch response assays, food choice assays and fluorescence microscopy. You will be mentored on various components of research including hypothesis generation, execution, analysis of data and interpretation, manuscript writing etc.
Please see our website for further details on the programme:
Life Sciences MSc by Research MSc by Research (Postgraduate) : Study : University of Dundee
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· Course type: Research Postgraduate
· Keyword: Life
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