000244668 001__ 244668
000244668 005__ 20230214173945.0
000244668 0247_ $$2CORDIS$$aG:(EU-Grant)101023536$$d101023536
000244668 0247_ $$2CORDIS$$aG:(EU-Call)H2020-MSCA-IF-2020$$dH2020-MSCA-IF-2020
000244668 0247_ $$2originalID$$acorda__h2020::101023536
000244668 035__ $$aG:(EU-Grant)101023536
000244668 150__ $$aNeural Mechanisms of Action-Selection During Sensory Conflict$$y2022-09-01 - 2024-08-31
000244668 372__ $$aH2020-MSCA-IF-2020$$s2022-09-01$$t2024-08-31
000244668 450__ $$aCourtEscape$$wd$$y2022-09-01 - 2024-08-31
000244668 5101_ $$0I:(DE-588b)5098525-5$$2CORDIS$$aEuropean Union
000244668 680__ $$aPrioritising the most urgent goal according to the context and physiological needs is crucial for the success of any organism. Action-selection processes are often disrupted in neuropathologies, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and addiction; however, the underlying neuronal mechanisms are not well understood. Crucially, how the brain evaluates sensory conflicting options and selects an appropriate action remains unknown.   I will tackle this question using a novel assay in which Drosophila fruit fly males are confronted with visual threats during courtship, which creates a conflict between survival and reproduction. Capitalising on refined genetic tools, I aim to unravel neural mechanisms that govern the selection between competing options. I will carry out a behavioural screen to identify neurons that allow the fly to choose between courting a mate and escaping a threat. From an in silico screen of Gal4 fly lines targeting defined cells, I will select lines based on their potential connectivity with courtship-command neurons. Using optogenetic tools, I will identify neurons that, when activated or inhibited, prevent males from blocking courtship in response to the threat. Next, I will ask if these cells respond to the threat in live Ca2+ imaging studies, and test if they are linked with the courtship circuitry using pre and post-synaptic markers and GRASP (to test potential synaptic connections). To probe if candidate neurons are functionally linked, I will manipulate the activity of upstream cells, and test the responses in downstream cells with Ca2+ imaging. This will allow me to build a map of the neural network of action-selection. Finally, I will test how external and internal state variables modulate action-selection. This study will provide insights into fundamental brain processes that may work in other animals, including humans.
000244668 909CO $$ooai:juser.fz-juelich.de:901108$$pauthority$$pauthority:GRANT
000244668 909CO $$ooai:juser.fz-juelich.de:901108
000244668 980__ $$aG
000244668 980__ $$aCORDIS
000244668 980__ $$aAUTHORITY