Laboratory Experiments for the 2014 Integrative Molecular Neuroscience Module

This laboratory manual was created in the spring of 2014 for use in the Integrative Molecular Neuroethology Module of the Neural Systems & Behavior Course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. The overall objective of the Integrative Molecular Neuroethology Module is to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of the relationships between molecular activity in the nervous system and complex behavior. We will teach molecular techniques to complement the electrophysiological characterization of identified cells in the leech, stomatogastric ganglion, and electric fish. The techniques include RNA isolation, cDNA synthesis, quantitative real time PCR, bioinformatic approaches, brightfield and fluorescent immunohistochemistry, stereology, and statistical analyses using R. Knowledge and technical skills gained in this modules will be widely applicable to research in other model and non- model organisms allowing students to ask questions on multiple levels of biological organization