Connectomes arising: linking structure and function in neocortical wiring. The cerebral cortex underpins human cognition, yet exactly how it becomes connected is unknown due to a lack of live developmental assays. We overcome this using prematurely born marsupials, which allow to study cortical development from embryo-like stages with remarkable resolution. This project will study how neural activity arises as the first connections are formed, and link functional and structural networks across d ....Connectomes arising: linking structure and function in neocortical wiring. The cerebral cortex underpins human cognition, yet exactly how it becomes connected is unknown due to a lack of live developmental assays. We overcome this using prematurely born marsupials, which allow to study cortical development from embryo-like stages with remarkable resolution. This project will study how neural activity arises as the first connections are formed, and link functional and structural networks across development in vivo. Experimental manipulations of activity, and computational models will discover developmental rules for precise wiring of cortical connections. Benefits include new methods to study cortical development, and outlining electrical, molecular and neuroanatomical signatures of early mammalian brain formation.Read moreRead less
Molecular mechanisms that regulate the kinetics of neurotransmitter release. Information processing in the human brain plays important roles in normal behaviour and cognition, most of which require rapid and precisely timed neurotransmitter release. However, the molecular mechanisms that control the speed and timing of this release remain largely unclear. This research project will use a novel mix of electrophysiology, electron microscopy, genetics, biochemistry, and imaging to investigate how t ....Molecular mechanisms that regulate the kinetics of neurotransmitter release. Information processing in the human brain plays important roles in normal behaviour and cognition, most of which require rapid and precisely timed neurotransmitter release. However, the molecular mechanisms that control the speed and timing of this release remain largely unclear. This research project will use a novel mix of electrophysiology, electron microscopy, genetics, biochemistry, and imaging to investigate how the speed of neurotransmitter release is controlled by the most important synaptic protein UNC-13 and its binding partners. This project expects to generate significant knowledge in the area of synaptic transmission. The outcomes will deepen our understanding of neuronal communication and information processing in the brain.Read moreRead less
Action selection in insects: how a microbrain knows what to do. Identifying what to do demands integrating sensory information with our current physiological state and memory of past experience to select the best possible action. This is the action selection problem. Our project aims to discover how tiny insect brains solve this fundamental problem. The project combines neural recordings from animals exploring virtual reality, behavioural analyses and computational modelling. The expected outco ....Action selection in insects: how a microbrain knows what to do. Identifying what to do demands integrating sensory information with our current physiological state and memory of past experience to select the best possible action. This is the action selection problem. Our project aims to discover how tiny insect brains solve this fundamental problem. The project combines neural recordings from animals exploring virtual reality, behavioural analyses and computational modelling. The expected outcome is a new understanding of the brain as an effective behavioural control system. This will benefit systems and comparative neuroscience. Our findings may also inspire solutions for robotic systems that must operate autonomously in remote and challenging environments such as disaster relief or exploration.Read moreRead less
Quiet sleep is for repair, active sleep is for learning. Sleep is thought to achieve many different functions, from brain waste clearance to regulating emotions and perception. Understanding sleep functions in animal models has been difficult because sleep has been typically reduced to a single state. Our discovery of distinct sleep stages in the fruit fly provides a powerful way to study how different conserved sleep functions are regulated. This project will use new strategies for manipulating ....Quiet sleep is for repair, active sleep is for learning. Sleep is thought to achieve many different functions, from brain waste clearance to regulating emotions and perception. Understanding sleep functions in animal models has been difficult because sleep has been typically reduced to a single state. Our discovery of distinct sleep stages in the fruit fly provides a powerful way to study how different conserved sleep functions are regulated. This project will use new strategies for manipulating sleep stages in flies to understand their respective physiology and functions. We will test our hypothesis that different categories of sleep functions have been segregated by evolution into different stages: a quiet stage concerned primarily with brain repair and an active stage important for learning.
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Brain states and their roles in evasive behaviour. Using cutting-edge custom microscopy, neuroinformatics, and optogenetics in the larval zebrafish model, this project aims to describe the neurons, circuits, and networks that govern brain states. These brain states, by altering sensory-response relationships, allow animals to tune their behaviour to their circumstances, and the small transparent brains of zebrafish offer the possibility to observe activity across all neurons in the brain while t ....Brain states and their roles in evasive behaviour. Using cutting-edge custom microscopy, neuroinformatics, and optogenetics in the larval zebrafish model, this project aims to describe the neurons, circuits, and networks that govern brain states. These brain states, by altering sensory-response relationships, allow animals to tune their behaviour to their circumstances, and the small transparent brains of zebrafish offer the possibility to observe activity across all neurons in the brain while these processes occur in real time. Benefits would include knowledge gained about this fundamental property of the brain, further refinement of technologies in microscopy and biophyisics, and the training of Australia’s next generation of optical physicists, neuroscientists, and mathematicians. Read moreRead less
Chemoreception in fishes: Anthropogenic impacts on brain and behaviour. This project aims to assess the impacts on fishes of increasing numbers of chemical pollutants entering Australia's waterways. Critical contaminants effect the chemosensory capabilities of endemic fishes that are commonly found in Australia and play an important role in fisheries and coastal biodiversity. Using a multidisciplinary approach, the study will interrogate the fundamental impacts of chemical pollutants on the dete ....Chemoreception in fishes: Anthropogenic impacts on brain and behaviour. This project aims to assess the impacts on fishes of increasing numbers of chemical pollutants entering Australia's waterways. Critical contaminants effect the chemosensory capabilities of endemic fishes that are commonly found in Australia and play an important role in fisheries and coastal biodiversity. Using a multidisciplinary approach, the study will interrogate the fundamental impacts of chemical pollutants on the detection, perception and behavioural reactions to a herbicide, a pesticide and a metal, and their impacts on finding food, avoiding predation and finding mates. Significant benefits include the timely intervention and implementation of improved environmental management strategies and policies.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100972
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$382,462.00
Summary
Reaching deeper into neuronal networks using optical physics. Understanding the functions and intricacies of the brain is a fundamental challenge in scientific research. This project aims to develop new technologies to construct a microscope able to alter and make sense of neuronal activity in situ. This project also aims to investigate the precise role of a key brain region involved in sensory processing: the locus coeruleus. The results will reveal how this brain region influences brain dynami ....Reaching deeper into neuronal networks using optical physics. Understanding the functions and intricacies of the brain is a fundamental challenge in scientific research. This project aims to develop new technologies to construct a microscope able to alter and make sense of neuronal activity in situ. This project also aims to investigate the precise role of a key brain region involved in sensory processing: the locus coeruleus. The results will reveal how this brain region influences brain dynamics as well as behaviour. Expected outcomes include state of the art microscopes, high impact publications, and international collaborations. The anticipated benefits are the high quality training of the Australian workforce and further establishment of Australia as a leader in microscopy and neuroscience.Read moreRead less