Genetics and neurobiology of aggression of Betta splendens

Project Summary / Abstract Project description: Aggression is a competitive social behavior that animals use to acquire resources and protect kin. While genetic variation is known to contribute to individual differences in aggression, we know very little about the specific genes involved and their mechanisms. To discover genes that regulate aggression, the applicant will exploit the unique features of the Siamese fighting fish Betta splendens (betta). Highly aggressive fighting betta have been generated through a long history of artificial breeding. Their aggressive behaviors are easily triggered by visual stimuli, and their intense fighting continues until retreat or death. The applicant proposes to use these fighting fish, along with their unselected, less aggressive wild counterparts, to expand our knowledge of genetic and neuronal bases underlying aggression. In Aim 1 (K99), the applicant will characterize the behavioral differences between wild and fighting betta during fights by developing a novel behavioral test and utilizing machine-learning based tools for behavioral analyses. In Aim 2 (K99), the applicant will discover aggression-associated variants that contribute to the behavioral differences with complementary mapping methods and genetic tools for functional perturbation. Finally, in Aim 3 (R00), the applicant will probe how the mapped genes influence the nervous system and mediate aggression using neuronal imaging and circuit tracing tools. Candidate and career goals: The applicant’s broad research interests involve understanding how genetic variation shapes the nervous system to modulate behaviors. The proposed research activities will build upon the applicant’s strong background in genetics and genomics skillsets with imaging and circuit tracing techniques, enabling the interdisciplinary approach necessary to tackle the applicant’s highly innovative research questions. The proposed project will also lay the foundation for the applicant’s long-term goal as an independent researcher who brings computational, genetic, and neurobiological fields together to create bold new approaches for understanding social behavior. Career development plan: The K99 phase of this work will be done in Columbia’s Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute (ZMBBI) under the mentorship of Drs. Andrés Bendesky and Franck Polleux. In addition, the candidate has assembled an extraordinary team of advisors and collaborators, consisting of Drs. Molly Przeworski, Carolyn (Lindy) McBride, Vanessa Ruta, and David Manuel Flores Gonçalves. The applicant’s research and transition to independence will benefit from this strong mentorship team, the state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure at ZMBBI, and numerous Professional Development resources offered through ZMBBI and Columbia.