Project description
Modelling fly brain responses to sensory stimuli in space
In order to survive, animals must find food and mates and avoid threats. To do this, they obtain relevant information from the environment using their evolved sensory systems. Sensory information is coupled with movement and thus motor systems. Additionally, animals sense the environment by moving in it. This movement in space sets the frame of reference for sensory information. With this in mind, the EU-funded ASIMOF project has developed a virtual reality arena to track fly locomotion and control of their visual environment online. It aims to use the data obtained on active sensation behaviour to model how the fly brain responds to sensory stimuli in space. The project will assess the behavioural capacities of flies and identify underlying visuomotor pathways.
Objective
All animals need to solve some key tasks in order to survive: they need to find food, mates, and avoid threats. To do this they have evolved sensory systems of various modalities, to obtain relevant information from their environment. However, sensation does not happen in isolation: in order to respond to salient environmental cues, sensory information needs to be coupled to movement, and thus motor systems. Furthermore, sensation itself is an active process: animals sense environment by moving in it. This movement in space (whether eyes scanning the environment, or the animal itself moving through it) sets the reference frame for sensory information. We have developed a virtual reality arena that allows online tracking of the fly locomotion, and control of their visual environment. When exploring their environment Drosophila locomotion consists of straight runs and fast saccadic turns.
However, when sensing a directional aversive cue (the heated wall of the arena) the flies perform a fast, evasive saccadic turn directly away from it. In order to do this optimally, they need to integrate their self-motion with the aversive stimulus, by using the former as a reference frame for the latter, and compute the angle of the evasive maneuvre. We will use this active sensation behaviour (with components of self-motion, spatially localized sensory signal, and a directional motor response) as a model for how the fly brain responds to sensory stimuli in space. We will first assess the behavioural capacities of the flies in this context, and whether their behaviour changes as a function of experience. We will identify underlying visuomotor pathways by functional imaging of targeted neurons while the flies are performing the behaviour in a virtual reality environment, and by Electron Microcopy based reconstruction of neuronal connectivity. Finally, we will determine the computations that the underlying circuits are performing by combination of functional imaging and modelling.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.4. - SPREADING EXCELLENCE AND WIDENING PARTICIPATION
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-WF-2018-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1400-038 LISBOA
Portugal
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.