Neuronal and glial footprints of cocaine- vs alcohol-induced reward memories in the reduced-complexity 3R model Drosophila (B04)

• Subject Area: Cognitive, Systems and Behavioural Neurobiology ; Human Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience
• Term: since 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 402170461

During the 1st FP, B04 uncovered sex-specific differences in conditioned behavior studying an alcohol deprivation effect model in rats. For the 2nd FP, B04 will investigate sex-specific effects in alcohol and cocaine preference models using Drosophila melanogaster. Analyzing this reduced complexity model system will allow for a multi-scale effort investigating physiological cellular/network properties in the context of preference behavior, molecular network/glial plasticity pre- and post-exposure to alcohol or cocaine as well as targeted RNA interference and optogenetic manipulation to modulate conditioned drug preference. B04 will also study genetic models of candidate genes uncovered in B02 and B10N.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 265: Losing and Regaining Control over Drug Intake: From Trajectories to Mechanisms to Interventions
• Applicant Institution: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. David Owald, since 7/2023; Professor Dr. Josef Priller; Professorin Dr. Christine Winter, until 6/2023