To develop the tools necessary for cellular analyses of mechanisms of neurogenesis, and especially those that involve classically defined immune cells like microglia, we are annotating the genome of Gambel's white-crowned sparrow and intend to perform single cell RNAseq. Using scRNAseq, we intend to answer questions like:

What are good histological and lineage markers for HVC to RA projection neurons, astroglia and microglia of various resting and activation states, etc.?

How many different cells are present in HVC?

How do these cell populations change across seasons?

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We intend to integrate these analyses with simulations of the cellular dynamics within HVC. We also intend to develop cell lineage markers that would facilitate in vivo and in vitro imaging of specific cellular interactions.