Project description
Research into fine cellular structures could enhance understanding of higher brain functions
Higher brain functions like decision-making involve coordinated activity across multiple brain regions, including neuronal and non-neuronal cells. Recent advances in two-photon (2P) mesoscopy enable high-resolution monitoring of this activity but are limited by optical aberrations at increased imaging depths. To overcome this, the AdaM project will develop and validate the first adaptive optics mesoscope, combining adaptive aberration correction with large field-of-view 2P mesoscopy. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, researchers will benchmark this approach by imaging Ca2+ dynamics in small brain structures in living mice at great imaging depths. Then, they will record Ca2+ signals from astrocytes during decision-making tasks. Using information theory and machine learning, the team will extract emergent properties of cellular ensembles and their behaviour correlations.
Objective
Higher brain functions, such as decision-making, are associated with the coordinated activity of multiple cellular structures (e.g. cell bodies and cellular processes of neuronal and non neuronal cells) distributed over multiple brain areas. Recent technical developments enable monitoring this ensemble activity across different brain regions with high (i.e. cellular and subcellular) resolution using large field-of-view (FOV) two-photon (2P) mesoscopy. However, optical aberrations mostly due to light scattering strongly limit the application of these technologies when the imaging depth within the brain increases. To address this limitation, I will here design, develop, and validate the first adaptive optics (AO) mesoscope, combining the strength of adaptive aberration correction with the power of large FOV 2P mesoscopy. I will first benchmark this novel approach to image ensemble Ca2+ dynamics of small brain structures (e.g. processes of neuronal and non-neuronal cells) in living mice over large FOV and at increasing imaging depths. I will then focus on recording Ca2+ signals from processes of astrocytes, the main non-neuronal cell type in the brain, which play fundamental roles in brain physiology. I will study how networks of thin astrocytic structures encode behavioural information over multiple cortical regions during a decision- making task. Finally, I will apply analytical methods based on information theory and machine learning to extract emergent properties of distributed ensembles and their correlation with behaviour. In conclusion, I will combine expertise in optical engineering, neuroscience, and computation to reveal the functional dynamics of the fine cellular structures across multiple cortical areas. This project will allow extracting details about ensemble dynamics that have long remained inaccessible, contributing to elucidate the contribution of coordinated activity of cellular and subcellular structures to higher brain function and behaviour.
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 physical sciences optics
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology
- natural sciences computer and information sciences artificial intelligence machine learning
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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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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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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.
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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
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01
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16163 Genova
Italy
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