Periodic Reporting for period 2 - COGBIAS (Neural circuitry and health consequences of cognitive bias)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2021-02-01 al 2022-01-31
Another goal of the project is to assess whether cognitive bias mediates inter-individual variations in susceptibility to stress and stress-related diseases. To achieve it, we have developed two different tasks. In the first task, we have attempted to show evidence that cognitive bias exerts a role in structuring inter-individual differences in the zebrafish gut microbiota under stressful conditions. Our results show stress-mediated alterations in gut microbial composition that are associated with an increase in the abundance of beneficial bacteria for the host. Notably, the stress-mediated alterations in the abundance of specific microbial taxa occur in a phenotype-dependent manner. Furthermore, our functional prediction analyses suggest that judgment bias also drive phenotype-dependent metabolic pathways that are associated to specific microbiome structural compositions. In the second task, we aimed to analyze if cognitive bias is mediating the inter-individual variation in melanoma onset and progression. We tested this hypothesis by using a transgenic zebrafish model for melanoma formation and progression, Tg (mitfa:Hsa.HRAS_G12V,mitfa:GFP)umc1/+. This transgenic line is characterized by an age-dependent formation and apparition of tumour nodules along the zebrafish body, usually in the anal fin. Our results show that in male zebrafish, pessimistic individuals under stress exhibited a higher tumour fraction as compared with pessimistic control fish, which suggest a subtantial role of cognitive bias in modulating melanoma progression under stressful conditions.
So far, these results have been partially presented in two international scientific conferences. On the other hand, aware of the real importance of promoting communication between the scientific community and the general public, several outreach activities have been carried during the course of the outgoing phase. No Website specific has been developed for the project. However, a specific space was created in Oliveira’s group Website with the aim to publicise any important findings of this project (https://oliveiralab.org/people/felipe-espigares/). Furthermore, I’m co-founder and member of SCIENFISH, a Facebook account created to publicise any important findings on fish research, including COGBIAS results. I’m also member and collaborator of SACSIS (http://www.sacsis.es/) an organization that is committed to promoting scientific research and technological innovation at the highest levels. Finally, I participated in the Festival Internacional de Ciência (FIC.A; https://www.fica.pt/) with several activities, including speed dating with scientists and hands-on experiments.