Objective Despite impressive advances in almost every field of neuroscience, our insights into brain function remain largely confined to its building blocks at the microscopic level, and to phenomenological descriptions at the macroscopic level. Understanding how complex mental functions originate from electrical and chemical processes in brain cells requires a comprehensive and integrated multi-level analysis focused on neuronal assemblies and microcircuits, where myriads of intricately connected neurons with different properties act together. We shall use the coordinator’s recent discovery of entorhinal grid cells – a key cell type in the network for spatial representation and navigation – as a model for neuronal computation in non-sensory cortical microcircuits. The crystal-like structure of the firing fields of grid cells provides an entirely new route to access the neuronal interactions responsible for pattern formation in the brain. Using a forceful combination of computational modelling and novel electrophysiological, optical and molecular research tools never applied for circuit analyses in the brain before, we shall establish the mechanisms by which microcircuits in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex encode, maintain and update representations of location as animals move from one place to another. Insights into the underlying computations have considerable translation potential. Understanding the algorithms for spatial navigation may change the way we manage a number of diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, which commonly begins in the entorhinal cortex and has topographical disorientation as one of its most reliable symptoms, and it may provide European industry with radically innovative concepts for the design of artificial navigating agents. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesneurobiologysocial sciencespsychologycognitive psychologymental processesmedical and health sciencesbasic medicineneurologydementiaalzheimer Keywords Alzheimer's disease brain cell assemblies coding cortex hippocampus memory microcircuits navigation place cells spatial Programme(s) FP7-HEALTH - Specific Programme "Cooperation": Health Topic(s) HEALTH-2007-2.2.1-2 - Coding in neuronal assemblies Call for proposal FP7-HEALTH-2007-A See other projects for this call Funding Scheme CP-FP - Small or medium-scale focused research project Coordinator NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNU EU contribution € 954 750,00 Address HOGSKOLERINGEN 1 7491 Trondheim Norway See on map Region Norge Trøndelag Trøndelag Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Edvard Moser (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Participants (6) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all AXONA LIMITED United Kingdom EU contribution € 272 250,00 Address Green Lane 148 AL36EU ST. ALBANS See on map Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact James Donnett (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data SCUOLA INTERNAZIONALE SUPERIORE DI STUDI AVANZATI DI TRIESTE Italy EU contribution € 218 250,00 Address VIA BONOMEA 265 34136 Trieste See on map Region Nord-Est Friuli-Venezia Giulia Trieste Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Alessandro Treves (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON EU contribution € 816 750,00 Address GOWER STREET WC1E 6BT LONDON See on map Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Kent Lee (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data University of Zurich Switzerland EU contribution € 300 750,00 Address RAMISTRASSE 71 8006 ZURICH See on map Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Fritjof Helmchen (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data UNIVERSITATSKLINIKUM HEIDELBERG Germany EU contribution € 264 750,00 Address IM NEUENHEIMER FELD 672 69120 Heidelberg See on map Region Baden-Württemberg Karlsruhe Heidelberg, Stadtkreis Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Thorsten Brietz (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data WEIZMANN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE Israel EU contribution € 172 500,00 Address HERZL STREET 234 7610001 Rehovot See on map Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Tzahor Talia (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data