# National Resource for Aplysia - Resources

> **NIH NIH P40** · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI ROSENTEIL SCHOOL · 2024 · $524,838

## Abstract

The mission of the National Resource for Aplysia at the University of Miami (the Resource) is to produce and
distribute consistently high-quality cultured sea hares, Aplysia californica, for biomedical research and
education and to improve the usefulness of this model system by applied research. Aplysia has played a vital
role in fundamental discoveries of how cellular and molecular changes in the nervous system underlie basic
behaviors, learning, and memory, due to unique characteristics of the simple nervous system that provide an
ideal model system for such studies. The 3 aims of the proposed continuation of this Resource program are:
 1. Animal Culture, Distribution and Health Monitoring – The Resource will continue to culture A.
californica and make all life stages, from eggs to large adults, available to researchers at a reasonable cost.
We anticipate sales will continue at a level of 8,000-10,000 animals per year. We will also accommodate
requests by users for separately reared cohorts, specialized diets, or harvesting of specific tissues for RNA or
DNA. We will monitor naturally occurring Aplysia abyssovirus (AAbV) in cohorts to better understand the
potential impacts of this virus and to provide information about virus levels to users. In addition, we will make
available additional specialized animals as developed in our Applied Research programs.
 2. Curation and Informatics – An improved system for management of stocks from egg laying throughout
the lifespan will be created and made publicly available through a web interface. The established website will
be enhanced to include additional content on uses of the Aplysia model system for human health research and
teaching. Our online ordering system will be improved. Training opportunities for graduate students,
undergraduate teaching labs, and public outreach activities using Aplysia will be expanded and enhanced.
 3. Applied Research – We will conduct two applied research projects that will expand the usefulness of this
model system. 3.1 Developing Aplysia as a model of enhanced susceptibility of the aged to cerebral
ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) – Aplysia is hypoxia-resistant, and likely has adaptations to resist IRI. Markers
of IRI, such as variations in mitochondrial function, will be studied in abdominal ganglia exposed to ischemia
and ischemia plus reperfusion. We will also examine the impact of age and pre-exposure to hypoxia on IRI.
Developing this model may allow users to investigate the impacts of IRI on neural excitability and may lead to
novel avenues of research and innovation in therapies. 3.2 Developing Aplysia as a model to study enhanced
susceptibility of the aged to myocardial IRI – Impacts of IRI on cardiac function as well as other IRI markers will
be studied. As above, the impact of age and pre-exposure to hypoxia on IRI will be investigated. This aim will
begin to pinpoint what adaptations Aplysia heart employs to mitigate hypoxic damage, and if those adaptation...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10850347
- **Project number:** 2P40OD010952-29
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI ROSENTEIL SCHOOL
- **Principal Investigator:** MICHAEL C SCHMALE
- **Activity code:** P40 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $524,838
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1996-05-01 → 2029-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10850347

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10850347, National Resource for Aplysia - Resources (2P40OD010952-29). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10850347. Licensed CC0.

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