Physiology and Ethology

The Physiology and Ethology Cluster of thematic areas is located within the Division of Integrative Biology and Neuroscience (IBN) and supports integrative studies of physiological functions at the genomic, cellular, systemic, and organismal levels, and animal behavior in both field and laboratory settings. Also considered are Long-Term Research in Environmental Biology (LTREB) proposals (for more information, see http://www.nsf.gov/bio/progdes/ltreb.htm).

The cluster supports research on the mechanism, development, function, and evolution of all animal behavior, including behavioral ecology and evolution; nonhuman learning and cognition; behavioral genetics; development of behavior; and behavioral physiology and motivation, including behavioral endocrinology, animal communication, and animal orientation. Also included are studies that address ecological or evolutionary questions in the areas of morphology, comparative physiology, physiological ecology, and biomechanics of plants, animals, protists, fungi, and bacteria, with emphasis on the study of whole organisms, living or extinct. These studies focus largely on how physiological or morphological mechanisms have evolved and how they may influence evolutionary pathways or interactions between organisms and their biotic or physiochemical environment. The cluster supports research on the basic physiological mechanisms at the molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, and whole animal level, with emphasis on the whole animal as an “integrated system.” This includes studies of comparative physiology, functional morphology, endocrinology, epithelial transport, and biomechanics. Another focus is on understanding plants as “functional units” through the integration of genomic, molecular, biochemical, and biophysical approaches to studies of plant form and function. Examples include hormonal and environmental regulation of plant function, plant physiological interactions with pathogens, nitrogen-fixing organisms, mycorrhizae, and other beneficial or pathogenic organisms in the rhizosphere. The emphasis is on understanding the physiological and metabolic basis of plant responses to such interactions.