Mechanisms and Functions of Brain- Body- Environment Interactions in C. elegans

Project Information

elegansBrainBodyEnvi

Grant agreement ID: 101054527

DOI

10.3030/101054527

EC signature date 18 August 2022

Start date 1 January 2023

End date 31 December 2027

Funded under

• European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 3 500 000,00

EU contribution

€ 3 500 000,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITAT WIEN
Austria

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - elegansBrainBodyEnvi (Mechanisms and Functions of Brain- Body- Environment Interactions in C. elegans)

Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2025-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Our research explores how the brain organizes and controls behavior by studying the tiny roundworm C. elegans. Despite its small size, this worm has a complex but small nervous system that allows it to perform sophisticated behaviors. By using advanced imaging technology, we can record the activity of nearly every neuron in its brain while it moves freely. Our main scientific objectives of this project are to decipher the neuronal computations underlying sensory processing, decision making and behavior generation. Our main hypotheses are that these processes are intimately linked and coupled to the ongoing explorative motor behaviors of the animal.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

In the preceding funding period, we have developed various microscopy approaches and computational pipelines that enable us to record brain activity of worms freely exploring sensory environments. We performed our first study to establish a baseline mapping between spontaneous behaviors and neuronal network activity in the absence of sensory inputs. One of our key discoveries is that the worm’s brain does not control movement through isolated neurons but instead through a coordinated, large-scale pattern of activity. These activity patterns form what we call a "neural manifold"—a kind of latent structure in brain activity that organizes the worm’s major movements into longer-lasting action sequences. This means that movement is not dictated by single neurons sending commands but emerges from the way many neurons work together.
We also found that this system follows a hierarchy, meaning larger-scale brain states shape more fine-tuned movements. This finding supports a long-standing idea in biology—that behavior is organized in hierarchical manner—but provides direct evidence for how it happens at the level of neuronal circuits.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Our study challenges the idea that high-level decisions, like predicting movement outcomes, are controlled by specific brain cells. Instead, these processes may emerge from the interaction of many neurons working together. Understanding these principles in C. elegans helps us uncover general rules about how brains—including the ones of bigger animals—organize behavior. In the future, this research could help us better understand behavior and decision-making in animals, including humans.