Neurobiotechnology laboratory: The nature and nurture of sexual orientation
What is the respective role of genes and the environment in shaping animal behavior? This course will explore this question from the standpoint of sexual orientation in the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster. The decision for a male to court a female seems to be an obvious process that only requires the meeting of both genders. Yet, this stereotypical behavior is governed by a fascinating gendered neural circuit. During this course, students will compare the natural and deviant sexual orientations of male flies by observing male courtship. They will combine the use of genotyping and histology to determine the genetic and neurological bases of this behavior. Last, they will test how social context affects this decision process. This course will not only expose students to state of the art laboratory techniques, it will highlight how genetics and neural circuitry (nature) can be tuned by social conditions (nurture).
What is the respective role of genes and the environment in shaping animal behavior? This course will explore this question from the standpoint of sexual orientation in the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster. The decision for a male to court a female seems to be an obvious process that only requires the meeting of both genders. Yet, this stereotypical behavior is governed by a fascinating gendered neural circuit. During this course, students will compare the natural and deviant sexual orientations of male flies by observing male courtship. They will combine the use of genotyping and histology to determine the genetic and neurological bases of this behavior. Last, they will test how social context affects this decision process. This course will not only expose students to state of the art laboratory techniques, it will highlight how genetics and neural circuitry (nature) can be tuned by social conditions (nurture).
- Teacher: Jonathan Bohbot
- Teacher: Amalia Shalom Goth