RESEARCH PROPOSED: The research proposed is an excellent series of experiments to first, evaluate the role of phosphorylation in regulating the function of drosophila sodium channels, and the to determine the complement of ion channels expressed by drosophila neurons by molecular fingerprinting of PCR products from single neurons. These studies complement each other well: the studies on phosphorylation and regulation of alternately spliced domains of drosophila para sodium channels are a clear extension of the ongoing research, and utilize state-of-the-art techniques with which she is familiar, such as single- cell PCR, while the last specific aim consists of experiments that utilize less explored techniques, but could provide significant new information and provide her with data that would continue her research in the area of control of ion channel expression during development.
