Objective
Understanding how neural circuits control arm and leg movements is a major challenge in neuroscience with implications for treating movement disorders, designing neural prostheses, and robotics. Limb movements are coordinated by low-level motor circuits in the spinal cord (in vertebrates) or ventral nerve cord (in invertebrates), which receive movement instructions from the brain via a small number of descending neurons (DNs). DNs constitute the critical link between the brain and the body. However, despite their importance, little is known about how specific DNs are recruited depending on the behavioral context, and how low-level motor circuits in the spinal cord or ventral nerve cord translate DN activity into limb movement. I propose leveraging cutting-edge tools to tackle these fundamental questions in the compact nervous system of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. The fly’s neural circuits for controlling limbs are more tractable and experimentally accessible than those of vertebrates, but still similar in their organization and function. Focussing on DNs that have been implicated in the control of walking speed, I will characterize the activity of DNs during behavior, identify the target neurons of DNs in motor circuits in the ventral nerve cord, and quantify the influence of DNs on these target neurons. By combining intracellular patch-clamp recordings, calcium imaging, and movement tracking in behaving animals with computational modeling and connectomics, the proposed research project will provide unique mechanistic insight into the interactions between the brain and low-level motor circuits that have remained elusive in other animals.
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.
- natural sciences biological sciences neurobiology
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry alkaline earth metals
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture horticulture fruit growing
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology implants
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology invertebrate zoology
You need to log in or register to use this function
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.
-
HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
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.
97070 Wuerzburg
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.