Axons are long cellular cables that conduct information through the nervous system. Despite a century of investigation, how axons elongate is poorly understood. This question is important because axonal elongation wires the brain during development and is ultimately responsible for how individuals think and perceive the world. The PI's approach to studying this problem is to monitor the process of axonal elongation in vivo using advanced microscopy in living intact Drosophila (fruitfly) embryos, and in vitro on individual neurons grown on glass coverslips. These classic cell biological approaches will be combined with biophysical analysis and powerful genetic tools developed in Drosophila to answer the following questions: 1) What are the cellular mechanics of elongation in vitro and in vivo? (2) How do forces control axonal assembly? (3) How do guidance cues cause axons to turn? Answering these questions will illuminate the understanding of the genetic and cellular mechanisms of axonal elongation. This project will support the training of graduate and undergraduate students, and has an outreach component that exposes K-12 students, undergraduates, graduate students, and secondary physical science teachers to cell biology, genetics, microscopy, and contemporary questions in neuroscience.
