Billie Goolsby

All Publications

• Behavioral and Neural Resilience to Isolation in a Eusocial Insect. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology Goolsby, B. C., Jordan Smith, E., Muratore, I. B., Coto, Z. N., Muscedere, M. L., Traniello, J. F. 2023

  Abstract

  Newly eclosed (callow) Camponotus floridanus minor workers were subjected to variable periods of isolation to determine whether and how diminished social experience and isolation influence the development of the brain, including compartment volumes, biogenic amine levels, and behavioral performance. Social experience early in life appears to be necessary for the development of species-typical behavior in animals ranging from insects to primates. Isolation during critical periods of maturation has been shown to impact behavior, gene expression, and brain development in vertebrate and invertebrate clades, yet remarkable resilience to social deprivation, senescence, and loss of sensory input have been demonstrated in some ant species. We reared workers of Camponotus floridanus under conditions of social isolation for increasing time periods up to 45 days and evaluated their behavioral performance, quantified brain development and biogenic amine levels, and compared results of isolated workers with control workers that had natural social contact during development. We found that brood care and foraging performance by isolated workers were unaffected by a lack of social contact. Antennal lobe volume loss occurred in ants experiencing longer isolation periods, while the size of the mushroom bodies, which function in higher-order sensory processing, increased over time after eclosion and were not different from mature controls. Titers of the neuromodulators serotonin, dopamine, and octopamine remained stable in isolated workers. Our results indicate that workers of C. floridanus are largely robust to the deprivation of social contact early in life.

  View details for DOI 10.1101/2023.06.29.546928

  View details for PubMedID 37425857

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC10326991

• Home security cameras as a tool for behavior observations and science equity. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology Goolsby, B. C., Fischer, M., Pareja-Mejia, D., Lewis, A. R., Raboisson, G., Oa Connell, L. A. 2023

  Abstract

  Reliably capturing transient animal behavior in the field and laboratory remains a logistical and financial challenge, especially for small ectotherms. Here, we present a camera system that is affordable, accessible, and suitable to monitor small, cold-blooded animals historically overlooked by commercial camera traps, such as small amphibians. The system is weather-resistant, can operate offline or online, and allows collection of time-sensitive behavioral data in laboratory and field conditions with continuous data storage for up to four weeks. The lightweight camera can also utilize phone notifications over Wi-Fi so that observers can be alerted when animals enter a space of interest, enabling sample collection at proper time periods. We present our findings, both technological and scientific, in an effort to elevate tools that enable researchers to maximize use of their research budgets. We discuss the relative affordability of our system for researchers in South America, which is home to the largest population of ectotherm diversity.

  View details for DOI 10.1101/2023.04.17.537238

  View details for PubMedID 37131676

• Feed Me: Robotic Infiltration of Poison Frog Families Living Machines: Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems Chen, T. G., Goolsby, B. C., Bernal, G., O'Connell, L. A., Cutkosky, M. 2023: 293-302

  View details for DOI 10.1007/978-3-031-39504-8_20

• Evidence for Empathy in Pair Bonding Poison Frogs bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology Nowicki, J. P., Rodriguez, C., Lee, J. C., Goolsby, B. C., Yang, C., Cleland, T. A., O'Connell, L. A. 2022

  View details for DOI 10.1101/2022.09.25.509360