SFB 870: Assembly and Function of Neuronal Circuits in Sensory Processing

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The goal of the CRC 870 Assembly and Function of Neuronal Circuits is to bridge the gap between the mechanistic understanding of molecular and cellular processes and higher brain functions by studying neuronal circuits, their assembly, dynamics, and signal processing at a level that explicitly allows for hypothesis driven approaches. Focusing on the structure-function relationship and computational modeling, the CRC originally self-restrained itself to circuits underlying early stages of sensory processing. Building on a successful first funding period the CRC widened its scope by including sensory interactions with motor systems. Moreover, the projects related to questions of development, regeneration and plasticity on the one hand (cluster A) and the more function related projects on the other hand (cluster B) have been further linked through overarching questions across the CRC: 1) Plasticity and Regeneration, 2) Sensory-Motor Interactions, 3) Principles Action Potential Generation, Axon Function and Myelination. Finally, the central projects (cluster Z) that develop new tools and methods and provide technical support were strengthened and contributed substantially to the CRC’s output. The success of the second funding period manifests itself by numerous publications with authors from more than one sub-project, by the fact that the number of publications more than doubled compared to the first funding period (>110 since 2014, >170 altogether), by the high proportion of high-impact publications (about one third with impact factors >10) and, most importantly, by numerous personal interactions and constantly increasing internal dynamics.For the third funding period a careful but strategic widening of the scope of CRC 870 has been planned. Firstly, building on the results related to common principles of development, regeneration and plasticity (e.g. activity), many projects will deal with questions of circuit dynamics and repair (e.g. after injury). Secondly, circuit dynamics underlying quantifiable behavior will move into the focus of an increasing proportion of CRC 870 sub-projects, reflected in a new bridging topic 4) Circuit Dynamics Underlying Behavior. This widening of the CRC’s scope will be realized within the principle of hypothesis driven research on sensory and motor circuits with clearly identifiable functions. These developments will be implemented without increasing the number of projects and without significant increase of the overall budget.The CRC 870 became an important local hub with intense interactions with the Munich Bernstein Center for Computational Neurosciences (BCCN), the Excellence Cluster Systems Neurology (SyNergy), the new Research Training Group (RTG) 2175 Perception in Context, and the Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSNLMU). The CRC 870 significantly strengthened research and teaching related to neuronal circuit assembly and function within the local networks.