The ontogeny of sleep-wake cycles in zebrafish: a comparison to humans.

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are used extensively in sleep research; both to further understanding of sleep in general and also as a model of human sleep. To date, sleep studies have been performed in larval and adult zebrafish but no efforts have been made to document the ontogeny of zebrafish sleep-wake cycles. Because sleep differs across phylogeny and ontogeny it is important to validate the use of zebrafish in elucidating the neural substrates of sleep.

The origin of behavioral bursts in decision-making circuitry.

From ants to humans, the timing of many animal behaviors comes in bursts of activity separated by long periods of inactivity. Recently, mathematical modeling has shown that simple algorithms of priority-driven behavioral choice can result in bursty behavior. To experimentally test this link between decision-making circuitry and bursty dynamics, we have turned to Drosophila melanogaster.

Age-independent synaptogenesis by phosphoinositide 3 kinase.

Synapses are specialized communication points between neurons, and their number is a major determinant of cognitive abilities. These dynamic structures undergo developmental- and activity-dependent changes. During brain aging and certain diseases, synapses are gradually lost, causing mental decline.