Coordination Funds

哺乳动物的大脑通过处理神经网络中的环境和内部信息来解释复杂的感觉、运动和认知能力。这些动态组装的神经元组以不同程度的空间复杂性组织大脑，从微电路到大规模网络。它们的活动模式，如振荡节奏，通过对神经元放电进行计时，在大脑内创建了一个精确的时间顺序。神经网络中神经元活动的时空协调对于产生特定的行为输出是必不可少的。系统神经科学的一个基本目标是破译感觉和认知能力被编码到单个神经元和神经元网络的活动模式中的机制。然而，这一目标的实验成果已被证明是出了名的困难，而且大多数是描述性的和过去几十年积累的相关证据。因此，仍有几个关键问题需要解决：单个神经元或不同复杂性的神经元网络对特定行为的贡献是什么？通过什么机制招募神经元来组装成产生与行为相关的输出的网络？发展网络的活动如何有助于网络的完善和认知能力的成熟？网络异常激活对行为的影响是什么？直到最近，还缺乏适当的方法来监测和选择性地操纵行为动物中单个或组神经元的活动。在过去两三年中，新的记录和成像技术以及电纳米刺激和光遗传工具的令人印象深刻的发展对神经科学产生了深远的影响。因此，现在是时候在跨学科和开创性的合作努力中将实验系统生理学与神经技术和网络动力学的分析/建模结合在一起了。优先计划1665旨在确定将单个神经元和网络的活动与行为联系起来的因果关系。重点将放在感觉-运动和认知处理上。研究将在不同程度的网络复杂性上进行，从单个神经元和微电路到大规模皮质亚皮质神经元网络，将涵盖成人和发育方面。具体地说，它的目标是使用新的实验工具来监控和操纵神经元活动，这些工具将在以行为/功能读出为中心的合作努力中开发和验证。对网络动力学和建模的分析将允许对机械假说进行功能评估，并将支持与行为的链接。优先计划1665的每个项目将在三驾马车内联网，分别是“实验者”，即解决或操纵神经元活动的小组，“工具制造者”，即开发和验证记录和操纵方法的小组，以及“分析员”，即分析网络动力学或剖析功能读数的小组。此外，将在务虚会、讲习班和实验室轮换中促进附属三驾马车之间的交流。因此，系统神经科学方面的新技术和分析算法将在该联盟内开发和消除。通过一些措施，优先计划旨在促进年轻研究人员的发展。他们将在优先计划1665的核心主题、方法专长和与科学事业相关的技能培训方面获得坚实的背景知识。该联盟将尽一切努力通过实施平等机会计划来整合女性研究人员。我们将努力以反映毕业生性别比例的比例招收男女博士生，并为女性研究人员提供量身定做的支持、指导和指导。

The mammalian brain accounts for complex sensory, motor, and cognitive abilities by processing environmental and internal information within neuronal networks. These dynamically assembled groups of neurons organize the brain at different levels of spatial complexity ranging from microcircuits to large-scale networks. Their patterns of activity, such as oscillatory rhythms, create a precise temporal order within the brain by timing the neuronal firing. It is thought that the spatiotemporal orchestration of neuronal activity in neuronal networks is essential for generating defined behavioral outputs.A fundamental aim of systems neuroscience is to decipher the mechanisms by which sensory perception and cognitive abilities are encoded onto activity patterns of single neurons and neuronal networks. However, experimental achievement of this aim has proven notoriously difficult and mostly descriptive and correlative evidences accumulated during the last decades. Thus, several crucial questions remain to be addressed: What is the contribution of single neurons or neuronal networks of different complexity to a specific behavior? What are the mechanisms by which neurons are recruited for assembling into networks that generate behaviorally relevant output? How does the activity of developing networks contribute to network refinement and maturation of cognitive abilities? What is the behavioral impact of abnormal network activation?Until very recently, appropriate methods to monitor and selectively manipulate the activity of single or groups of neurons in behaving animals were lacking. The impressive development of new recording and imaging techniques as well as of electrical nanostimulations and optogenetic tools during the last two-three years had a profound impact on neuroscience. Thus, time has now come to bind experimental systems physiology with neurotechnology and analysis/modeling of network dynamics in an interdisciplinary and seminal collaborative endeavor.The Priority Program 1665 aims at identifying causal relationships linking the activity of single neurons and networks to behavior. Emphasis will be laid on sensory-motor and cognitive processing. Investigations will be performed at different levels of network complexity, ranging from single neurons and microcircuits to large-scale corticosubcortical neuronal networks and both adult and developmental aspects will be covered. Specifically, it is aimed at monitoring and manipulating the neuronal activity using new experimental tools, which will be developed and validated in collaborative efforts centered on behavioral/functional readout. Analysis of network dynamics and modeling will allow functional evaluation of mechanistic hypotheses and will back-up the links to behavior.Each project of the Priority Program 1665 will network within troikas the “experimenters”, i.e. groups resolving or manipulating neuronal activity, the “toolmakers”, i.e. groups developing and validating the recording and manipulation methods, and the “analysts”, i.e. groups analyzing network dynamics or dissecting the functional readout. Moreover, exchange between affiliated troikas will be promoted at retreats, workshops and lab rotations. As a result, novel technologies and analysis algorithms in systems neuroscience will be developed and dissiminated within the consortium.Through a number of measures the Priority Program aims at promoting young researchers. They will receive a solid background in the core topics of the Priority Program 1665, methodological expertise and training of the skills relevant for the scientific career. The consortium will take all efforts to integrate female researchers by implementing an equal opportunity program. We will strive to recruit male and female doctoral candidates in a proportion that reflects the gender ratio of graduating students and to offer tailored support, mentoring and coaching for female researchers.