# Chromatin and Behavior

> **NIH NIH R01** · FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $258,885

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
A major goal of neuroscience research is to understand the molecular-genetic specification of behaviors and
how the environment influences these mechanisms. Lack of knowledge of these molecular-genetic
mechanisms is a major barrier to progress, as this limits knowledge about the interplay between nuclear,
synaptic and physiological neuronal functions that direct behaviors and plasticity. Understanding the molecular-
genetic mechanisms that drive complex behaviors in model systems is an important step. We propose a
collaborative and unique approach to address our lack of understanding of complex behaviors. This study will
be one of the first to examine on a genome-wide scale several molecular phenotypes that drive complex
behaviors. We propose to use state-of-the-art tools, which are newly developed by our laboratory, to examine
at a cell-specific level several molecular phenotypes. We will examine chromatin, transcription factor binding,
gene expression and alternative pre-mRNA splicing in neural circuits that are well defined and known to
underlie behavior. This innovative approach will allow us to identify the molecular process that are required to
drive the potential and maintenance of this behavior, by examining these phenotypes during development and
adult stages. In addition, we examine how the environment can modify behavior by examining the molecular
and neural circuit basis of long-term memory formation. The project will be the first to elucidate and integrate,
in a cell-specific manner, several molecular phenotypes that direct complex behavior, including how sex-
differences in the molecular environment influence behavior. We will statistically integrate knowledge of all of
these phenotypes to gain insights into the complex interplay between environment, molecular, neural circuit
and behavioral phenotypes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9984407
- **Project number:** 5R01GM116998-04
- **Recipient organization:** FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** MICHELLE N ARBEITMAN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $258,885
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9984407

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9984407, Chromatin and Behavior (5R01GM116998-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9984407. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*