Genetics and neurobiology of aggression of Betta splendens - Project Summary / Abstract
Project description: Aggression is a competitive social behavior that animals use to acquire resources and
protect kin. While genetic variation is known to contribute to individual differences in aggression, we know very
little about the specific genes involved and their mechanisms. To discover genes that regulate aggression, the
applicant will exploit the unique features of the Siamese fighting fish Betta splendens (betta). Highly aggressive
fighting betta have been generated through a long history of artificial breeding. Their aggressive behaviors are
easily triggered by visual stimuli, and their intense fighting continues until retreat or death. The applicant
proposes to use these fighting fish, along with their unselected, less aggressive wild counterparts, to expand
our knowledge of genetic and neuronal bases underlying aggression. In Aim 1 (K99), the applicant will
characterize the behavioral differences between wild and fighting betta during fights by developing a novel
behavioral test and utilizing machine-learning based tools for behavioral analyses. In Aim 2 (K99), the
applicant will discover aggression-associated variants that contribute to the behavioral differences with
complementary mapping methods and genetic tools for functional perturbation. Finally, in Aim 3 (R00), the
applicant will probe how the mapped genes influence the nervous system and mediate aggression using
neuronal imaging and circuit tracing tools.
Candidate and career goals: The applicant’s broad research interests involve understanding how genetic
variation shapes the nervous system to modulate behaviors. The proposed research activities will build upon
the applicant’s strong background in genetics and genomics skillsets with imaging and circuit tracing
techniques, enabling the interdisciplinary approach necessary to tackle the applicant’s highly innovative
research questions. The proposed project will also lay the foundation for the applicant’s long-term goal as an
independent researcher who brings computational, genetic, and neurobiological fields together to create bold
new approaches for understanding social behavior.
Career development plan: The K99 phase of this work will be done in Columbia’s Zuckerman Mind Brain
Behavior Institute (ZMBBI) under the mentorship of Drs. Andrés Bendesky and Franck Polleux. In addition, the
candidate has assembled an extraordinary team of advisors and collaborators, consisting of Drs. Molly
Przeworski, Carolyn (Lindy) McBride, Vanessa Ruta, and David Manuel Flores Gonçalves. The applicant’s
research and transition to independence will benefit from this strong mentorship team, the state-of-the-art
facilities and infrastructure at ZMBBI, and numerous Professional Development resources offered through
ZMBBI and Columbia.
