NAME: Amber Inman
 

PROJECT TITLE: Functional Distribution of Dopamine and Serotonin in the Crayfish CNS

The foci for this research are where dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) are located in the crayfish nerve cord, and therefore what functions the two neurochemicals might have in changing the activity of the lateral giant (LG) neuron in freely behaving animals. To approach this, I will be using immunocytochemistry, a technique using antibodies that are specific for certain compounds. The antibodies are applied to the nerve cord and then recognize, bind to, and label those compounds. These immunolabels will be documented by descriptive notes telling the locations of the neurons with DA and 5-HT and by taking fluorescent photomicrographs of those same neurons.