Sensory Neurogenetics
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Antennal lobe of Drosophila melanogaster stained with different antibodies to highlight the cell bodies and glomeruli.
The sense of smell allows discrimination of a large number of odorants using precisely wired projections from neurons in the periphery expressing specific olfactory receptors to neurons in higher brain centers that process the information. The ability to recognize a particular odor and to activate the appropriate neurons in the brain is instrumental in driving important behaviors.
We are interested in the genetic program that controls the formation and function of olfactory neuronal circuits. One aim is to identify the genes that specify neuronal identity, link them to the connectivity of a neuron, and ultimately to its integration into functional nervous systems. The neural networks that control olfactory behavioral responses and other innate behaviors remain largely unknown in any animal or human. Therefore, another important goal of our research is the identification of neural processing centers and eventually single neurons that underpin different innate behaviors. Ultimately, we aim to understand how neural circuits and genetic programs have changed during evolution to give rise to nervous systems that are perfectly adapted to the specific biological niches of different species.
To this aim, we mainly use the fruitfly Drosophila with its rich, unmatched repertoire of genetic tools and robust innate behaviors. We combine genetics with behavioral testing, state of the art anatomy, in vivo electrophysiology, and imaging.
