Project description
Molecular insight into neuronal signal processing
Neurons possess the remarkable capacity to transform synaptic signals in a nonlinear fashion, a phenomenon that accounts for much of the brain’s computational power. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that allow a neuron to multiply or divide its input signals. Scientists of the EU-funded MOVIS project will use the motion vision circuit of the fruit fly Drosophila as a model system to address these problems. Drosophila constitutes an ideal model since the synaptic connectivity and the transcriptional activity of its nervous system are well characterised, and it can be manipulated and studied using molecular, biophysical, and behavioural methodologies. The project's work will provide a detailed mechanistic understanding of signal processing by single neurons.
Objective
Signal processing by neurons involves arithmetic operations, many of which are nonlinear. These nonlinearities are thought to account for much of the brain’s computational power, yet, little is known about the molecular mechanics that underlie even simple operations like multiplication and division in individual neurons. I will address this problem in the visual system of Drosophila, where the detection of motion represents a canonical example of nonlinear information processing: To perceive visual motion, the signals of adjacent photoreceptors are differentially delayed to coincide at the dendrites of the bushy T-cells, T4 and T5, where multiplication and/or division of these inputs are thought to give rise to direction selectivity. The proposed work will address the following questions: Are the dendritic transformations multiplicative, divisive, or both? Which synaptic inputs constitute the numerator and which the denominator? What receptors and ion channels account for the dendritic nonlinearities and how do they influence the visual perception of motion? The fruit fly enables me to bridge molecular biophysics and optomotor behaviour by granting genetic, electrical, optical, and molecular access to virtually all relevant neurons in a circuit of well-documented synaptic connectivity and transcriptional activity. I will use whole-cell patch clamp recordings in vivo, patch-seq, optogenetics, optomotor behaviour, RNA interference, and computational modelling to identify the biophysical basis of multiplicative and divisive operations in the dendrites of bushy T-cells. The answers will likely hold information that extends beyond the fly’s sense of sight and might uncover previously unknown ways of signal processing by single neurons at the molecular scale.
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.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering signal processing
- natural sciences mathematics pure mathematics arithmetics
- natural sciences biological sciences biophysics
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA
- natural sciences computer and information sciences data science data processing
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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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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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.
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.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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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.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2019
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
80539 MUNCHEN
Germany
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.