The research component of this award advances understanding of the embryonic development and ancestry of the beating heart. The education goal of this grant is to provide young people interested in science first-hand experience of project work in a professional research environment. Special emphasis has been placed on getting local High School and minority students from the Charleston low country curious about the process of scientific discovery. Dr. Gourdie's earlier research work uncovered an unrecognized relationship between the embryonic development of two essential heart tissues---coronary blood vessels and the cardiac conduction system. In essence, it was determined that during embryonic life, laying down of the conductive wiring of the heart is dependent on the development of its coronary vascular plumbing. To build on this, he plans to focus on paracrine factors secreted by developing blood vessels, and how these might influence gene expression in cells destined to become part of the conduction system. Particular consideration will be given to understanding downstream effects on gap junctions and connexin expression---myocardial cell membrane components central to specifying and electrically integrating different functional compartments of heart muscle. Evolutionary antecedents of the processes under investigation will also be studied in the heart of the marine protochordate Ciona intestinalis. Uniquely, although the tiny, tube-like heart of this animal is only one cell layer thick, it possesses many characteristics in common with hearts from advanced chordates (e.g. Humans). By funding integrated academic programs such as this, the NSF underpins the intellectual autonomy necessary for development of innovative teaching and research.
