Project description
Temporal information processing in the brain
To process information, the brain relies on spatial and temporal patterns of electrical activity. While spatial patterns are dictated by the anatomy of the brain, the mechanisms that govern temporal activity dynamics over milliseconds to minutes remain poorly understood. The ERC-funded TEMPRODROME project will study these mechanisms using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. Researchers will use in vivo patch-clamp recordings, functional imaging and behavioural experiments to study how the brain filters and stores information about visual stimuli over time; how it gathers information about visual motion; and how it keeps track of the distance travelled over time during movement.
Objective
All information processing in nervous systems relies on spatial and temporal patterns of neural activity. While spatial patterns are dictated by neuroanatomy, the mechanisms that give rise to temporal activity patterns are diverse. They range from fast voltage dynamics of single neurons at one end of the spectrum to slow transcriptional and structural changes at the other, but the rules that shape signals at timescales in between milliseconds and minutes are poorly understood. The proposed research aims to uncover mechanisms of temporal information processing at these intermediate timescales, at which temporal patterns are thought to emerge from recurrently connected circuits. Detailed insight into the function of these circuits has been limited by the large number of circuit elements, by the lack of knowledge about their connectivity, and by the impracticability of recording from all circuit elements under naturalistic conditions. In Drosophila melanogaster, these limitations no longer apply. The comparatively low number of neurons, their well-mapped connectivity, and our ability to record and control their activities make mechanistic concepts testable. We will focus on three processes in the brain of Drosophila that unfold over three timescales ranging from milliseconds to minutes: 1) temporal filtering in the motion vision system, 2) sequential sampling of motion information in the lead-up to a perceptual judgement, and 3) temporal integration of distance during locomotion. Patch clamp experiments in the smallest of invertebrate neurons in vivo will allow us to record activity at the highest temporal resolution. We will combine this technique with behavioural, genetic, and imaging experiments to test the roles of individual neurons, their biophysical properties, and their synaptic connections in processing signals at intermediate timescales. The proposed experiments will further our understanding of motion vision, perceptual decision-making, and path integration.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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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
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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.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2023-STG
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8010 Graz
Austria
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