Adaptive design of the microbrain system : project achievements and perspectives

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Physiological mechanisms underlying behavioral functions of the arthropod microbrain system have been investigated in terms of species specificity and generality in the project "Adaptive design of the microbrain system" carried out from 1998 to 2001. The project yielded a number of new findings including the structure and function of the mushroom body, central projections and processing of the insect olfactory system, synaptic mechanisms of the central compensation process following partial ablation of mechanosensory organs, and molecular and developmental knowledge on the microbrain cytoarchitecture. In addition to propulsion of individual research, development of new experimental and theoretical tools for the microbrain research, including molecular biological techniques, small-scale electronic IC devices and neuro-informatics theory, has been fully backed up in this project. Through these results as well as many others obtained in experimental and computational approaches to the microbrain system, the current project emphasized practical advantages of the arthropod brain as a small system in scientific researches in which molecular, cellular and neuronal circuit structures and functions are to be understood in direct relation to the behavior of an individual animal in natural conditions. During the substantial period of research over 3 years (1999-2001), about 50 researches was enrolled in this project as chief researchers, domestic and international symposia and meetings were held 14 times, and workshops were conducted in 6 places throughout the country. The results have been published as more than 200 research articles in scientific journals.