Descripción del proyecto
Evolución de las neuroseñales: lecciones de los organismos unicelulares
Los organismos unicelulares, como las diatomeas, las algas y los protistas pueden reconocer sus límites ambientales, responder a estímulos y cambiar su comportamiento en consecuencia. Sin embargo, estas formas de vida primitiva carecen de sistemas nerviosos. El proyecto financiado con fondos europeos EvoMotion tiene como objetivo determinar las vías sensomotoras y los mecanismos de control temprano de movimiento en organismos unicelulares y demostrar que el sistema nervioso no es necesario para su comportamiento complejo. La investigación implicará métodos interdisciplinarios como ensayos fisiológicos, análisis computacionales y comprobación de hipótesis mediante experimentos asistidos por robótica. Esta investigación va a desarrollar nuevos diseños para estudios conductuales de organismos unicelulares aneurales a fin de demostrar su capacidad de interactuar con el entorno.
Objetivo
Even unicellular organisms have a sense of self -- that basal recognition of where their own membranous boundaries end, and where the extracellular environment in which they inhabit begins. Yet unlike the cells in your body, these primitive lifeforms can reproduce, and exist autonomously, most importantly, they can respond to stimuli, and change their behaviour accordingly. Responsive self-movement is a defining characteristic of life, which for simple organisms is essential to enable to them to explore and react to their surroundings, improve their circumstances, and outcompete other cells. In this proposal, I will determine the sensorimotor pathways of unicellular organisms and the physical mechanisms of early movement control, showing that a nervous system is not required for complex behaviour, particularly, 1) motility originating from cell shape changes by cilia and flagella, and 2) the as-yet unexplained surface gliding movement of diatoms which occurs in the complete absence of shape changes. I will develop novel interdisciplinary approaches, merging physiological experiments on diverse unicellular species with unique behavioural features, with theoretical modelling, mathematical/computational analysis of behaviour, as well as robotics-aided hypothesis testing. To highlight the importance of fast, nonequilibrium sensing in unicells and its significance for the evolution of nervous signalling, I will pioneer the integration of high-speed imaging and live-cell perturbations to resolve and understand previously unseen cellular processes and excitable phenomena. These investigations will culminate in novel designs for long-time behavioural assays which will probe the limits of aneural organisms and their capacity to perceive and interact with their surroundings.
Ámbito científico
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
ERC-STG - Starting GrantInstitución de acogida
EX4 4QJ Exeter
Reino Unido