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

Informazioni relative al progetto

elegansBrainBodyEnvi

ID dell’accordo di sovvenzione: 101054527

DOI

10.3030/101054527

Data della firma CE 18 Agosto 2022

Data di avvio 1 Gennaio 2023

Data di completamento 31 Dicembre 2027

Finanziato da

• European Research Council (ERC)

Costo totale

€ 3 500 000,00

Contributo UE

€ 3 500 000,00

Coordinato da

UNIVERSITAT WIEN
Austria

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

Periodo di rendicontazione: 2023-01-01 al 2025-06-30

Sintesi del contesto e degli obiettivi generali del progetto

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.

Lavoro eseguito dall’inizio del progetto fino alla fine del periodo coperto dalla relazione e principali risultati finora ottenuti

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.

Progressi oltre lo stato dell’arte e potenziale impatto previsto (incluso l’impatto socioeconomico e le implicazioni sociali più ampie del progetto fino ad ora)

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.