Objective
An animal’s decision on how to respond to the environment is based not only on the sensory information available, but further depends on internal factors such as stress, sleep / wakefulness, hunger / satiety and experience. Neurotransmitters and neuropeptides in the brain modulate neural circuits accordingly so that appropriate behaviors are generated. Aberrant neuromodulation is implicated in diseases such as insomnia, obesity or anorexia. Given the complexity of most neural systems studied, we lack good models of how neuromodulators systemically affect the activities of neural networks.
To overcome this problem, I propose to study neural circuits in the nematode C. elegans, which is a genetically tractable model organism with a simple and anatomically defined nervous system. I will focus on the neural circuits involved in oxygen chemosensory behaviors. Worms can smell oxygen and they use this information to navigate through heterogeneous environments. This enables them to find food and to engage in social interactions. Oxygen chemosensory behaviors are highly modulated by experience and nutritional status, but the underlying mechanisms are not understood.
I established behavioral assays that allow studying the modulation of oxygen behaviors in a rigorously quantifiable manner. I also acquired expertise in micro-fabrication technologies and developed imaging devices to measure the activity of neurons in live animals. The first two aims of this proposal focus on the application of these technologies to study (A) how neuropeptides mediate experience dependent modulation of oxygen chemosensory circuits; and (B) how food availability and nutritional status modulate the same neural circuits. Aim (C) is an innovative engineering approach in which I will develop new microfluidic technologies that allow the simultaneous recording of oxygen evoked behaviors and neural activity. This will be beneficial for aims A and B and will pave way for new future research directions.
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.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine psychiatry sleep disorders
- natural sciences biological sciences neurobiology
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition obesity
- natural sciences computer and information sciences artificial intelligence computational intelligence
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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.
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.
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.
ERC-2011-StG_20101109
See other projects for this call
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.
Host institution
1030 Wien
Austria
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.