The overall objective of this contract is to 1) continue the high-throughput analysis of gene expression patterns in the mouse nervous system during development; 2) generate new mouse genetic research tools for the scientific community. Using two complementary and coordinated technologies (standard radiometric in situ hybridization and BAC transgenic reporter mice), the contract screens probes for a large number (e.g., thousands) of gene products on a relatively limited number (10 to 20) of sections of the nervous system. Planes of section are chosen by the NINDS to include the structures of most general interest to the neuroscience community (e.g., neocortex, basal ganglia, hippocampus, cerebellum, spinal cord, etc.). The spatial locations/patterns of gene expression are analyzed at 3 or 4 stages of development (early and late embryonic, and early postnatal) and in adult mice. The resulting images of gene expression are digitized and posted in Web-accessible databases, and all BAC transgenic mice generated by the contract are deposited in an NIH-sponsored mouse repository.
