West Coast CrawFly Invertebrate Neurophysiology Course Pomona CollegeClaremont, CA, United States Course Overview ADInstruments and the Department of Neuroscience at Pomona College will co-host a hands-on workshop for higher education life science instructors seeking to expand their curriculum reach in the neurosciences. The training event will be based on topics explored in the “Crawdad Project,” a three-year program funded by the National Science Foundation to promote the use of invertebrates in undergraduate physiology and neuroscience lab courses. The goals of this hosted workshop are to provide teachers hands-on experience with invertebrate preparations that demonstrate basic principles of nervous system physiology, and can easily be incorporated into laboratory courses back home.   Course Agenda CRAWDAD (3 1/2 Days) Topics Explored: Motor innervation Neuroanatomy Sensory systems Ionic bases of resting and action potentials Synaptic transmission Synaptic plasticity Central pattern generation for rhythmic motor activity Exercises to be covered: • Passive Membrane Properties - Introduction to membrane properties and equipment use• Crayfish Motor Nerve Recording - Extracellular recording of spontaneous and reflex motor activity• Ionic Basis of Resting Potential - Intracellular recording of crayfish muscle• Ionic basis of action potential - Intracellular recording from snail brain neurons• Plant Action Potential - Intracellular recording of a large alga cell that fires an AP• Synaptic Connectivity - Simultaneous Extracellular and Intracellular recording from nerve and muscle; matching PSP’s with AP’s• Synaptic Plasticity - Stimulating a nerve, recording muscle synaptic potentials; facilitation and PTP• Stretch Receptor - Extracellular recording of crayfish stretch receptor                                       • Conduction velocity measurements from multiple motor neurons simultaneously; rhythmic motor pattern generation Skills to be covered:  • Neuromuscular Intro - Preparations used in Crayfish Motor Nerve, Resting Potential, Axonal conduction velocity; Rhythmic Motor Activity and Synaptic labs• Dissecting Tips - General advice on successful dissection• Recording Tips - Background and troubleshooting for extra- and intracellular computer based data acquisition                                                                                                                     • Data Analysis - including spike sorting, matching presynaptic action potentials with postsynaptic potentials; measuring AP conduction velocity; calculating time constants for sensory receptor adaptation FRUITFLY (1/2 Day) Topics Explored: Use of the Drosophila electroretinogram (ERG) recording as a neural signal in the fly eye in response to flashes of light Drosophila ERG response variants as a test of sensitivity to light stimulation including intensity, duration and wavelength as a framework for student analysis Affects of mutations on key characteristics of intracellular signaling, synaptic transmission or neuronal function as it correlates directly to Drosphilia ERG waveforms variance Acquisition of wild type and mutant ERGs and the student exploration between genetics, biochemical pathways, and electrophysiology The final course agenda will be made available beginning the first day of the course and is dependent on instructor resources and input from attendees. If there is a specific topic you would like to cover outside of this schedule, one-on-one coaching sessions will be available. The outline above is representative of the standard topic covered but is subject to change.   Terms and Conditions: *Training may be cancelled or rescheduled by Instructor due to adverse weather, low class enrollment, catastrophic event or for other reasons.  All registrants will be notifed at least 30 days before the event and course registration fees will be fully refunded should course be cancelled.   *Course cancellations must be received prior to 30 days before the start date of the event to receive a full refund. No-show's and late cancellations will be charged the full event price.   If you would like to send someone in your place or receive a credit for a future training course, please contact the event coordinator at webinar.na@adinstruments.com.     Lead Course Instructor Bruce Johnson Senior Research Associate at Cornell Dr. Bruce Johnson is currently a Senior Research Associate with the Harris-Warrick Lab in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior at Cornell University. Bruce under the guidance of Dr. Ron Hoy hosted the first series of NSF-funded Crawdad workshops and has an extensive background in neurobiology research and education from his past and current affiliations with the Marine Biology Laboratory, Shoals Marine Lab, PKAL and FUN. He is a lead instructor at the annual Crawdad and CrawFly invertebrate neurobiology educator workshops hosted at Cornell.   Accommodations A block of rooms have been reserved for out of town course attendees at the Doubletree Hotel in Claremont, CA. Rate is guaranteed $117.00/night June 4-8. Please book book through this private reservation link: http://doubletree.hilton.com/en/dt/groups/personalized/O/ONTCLDT-CCP-20140604/index.jhtml. A shutte will be provided from the hotel to the campus every morning at 8:15 am and returning at 5:15 pm. Please be ready promptly in the lobby if you require transportation. *Please note: ADInstruments is not responsible for your travel or accommodation arrangements. Please don't book arrangements until you receive a confirmation email from ADInstruments.*