The mechanisms underlying the formation and development of neuronal assemblies

• Applicant: Professorin Julijana Gjorgjieva, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Experimental and Theoretical Network Neuroscience
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 568945536

Across the entire brain, neural circuits exhibit remarkable diversity across species, in both macroscopic architecture and cellular composition. As our understanding of neural computation has advanced, neuroscientists have been able to identify common building blocks and overarching mechanisms operating on them that apply across diverse species and brain areas. Previous studies have shown that neuronal assemblies are implicated in the formation and expression of long-term memory and short-term memory, the generation of specific behaviors, and the encoding of head-direction and eye fixations, and orientation tuning in primary visual cortex. However, the neuronal mechanisms underlying the development and formation of these assemblies remains elusive. Here, we propose to use calcium imaging, neurotransmitter identity and optogenetic perturbations in the zebrafish larva combined with theoretical mathematical modeling to characterize the development of well-known neuronal assemblies in the optic tectum of the zebrafish larva that play a role in visual processing, and investigate the role of activity-dependent plasticity on the spontaneous emergence of the assemblies. With the obtained results, we will generate biologically realistic models and test hypotheses, which will be subsequently tested experimentally using optogenetics. Our project will shed new light on the principles and mechanisms underlying the formation, development and maintenance of neuronal assemblies.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: France
• Cooperation Partner: Germán Sumbre, Ph.D.