Neuronal Control of Adaptive Walking

该项目旨在了解大脑信号如何控制运动回路，从而使动物能够自适应地在不同的地形上行走，以追求其不断变化的目标。它将以果蝇为模型。苍蝇是一个敏捷的行走者，它的神经系统在突触水平上几乎被完全绘制出来，遗传试剂可以选择性地测量或操纵单个神经元的活动。这个项目特别关注产生向前和向后行走以及在两者之间切换的电路。它将增强澳大利亚在连接体驱动的神经科学研究方面的能力，为神经元运动控制提供基本见解，并启发设计更灵活的机器人。

This project seeks to understand how signals from the brain control motor circuits so that an animal can adaptively walk across varying terrains in pursuit of its ever-changing goals. It will focus on the fruit fly, Drosophila, as a model. The fly is an agile walker, its nervous system has been almost fully mapped at the synaptic level, and genetic reagents are available to selectively measure or manipulate the activity of single neurons. This project specifically focuses on the circuits that generate forward and backward walking, and switch between the two. It will enhance Australia's capacity in connectome-driven neuroscience research, deliver fundamental insights into neuronal motor control, and inspire the design of more agile robots.