The development of subnetworks of the TRN

项目总结 我们与视觉世界的关系在很大程度上依赖于我们接收和处理进入视觉世界的光线的能力 眼睛。光衍生信息的一部分是许多非成像视觉功能所需的，例如 对我们的生物钟进行编程，控制眼球运动，影响情绪。大脑的一个主要区域 它位于丘脑腹侧，接受这种非成像视觉信息，被称为 腹侧膝状核(VLGN)。虽然vLGN与涉及的下游地区有联系 在重要的功能，包括视觉运动功能，昼夜光夹带和前庭功能，它有 没有得到充分的研究。知识差距如此之大的一个原因是，人们对Funda的了解非常少- VLGN的心理特征，特别是关于它的细胞和分子景观，从而使它 开发工具来回答有关其在视觉信息中的作用的突出问题具有技术挑战性 塞辛。这项研究的动机是需要表征vLGN的分子结构，并鉴定 与视网膜纤维形成联系的神经元。该项目直接与大脑倡议和 美国国立卫生研究院的蓝图计划通过使用创新的再研究来扩大对神经科学的基本理解 搜索方法，以表征神经系统中的细胞类型，并绘制大脑中连接的神经元。 这项工作的结果将对该领域产生重大影响，并对可视区域产生更深的理解 指接收、处理和传输非成像视觉信息的大脑。

PROJECT SUMMARY Our relationship with the visual world is heavily dependent on our ability to receive and process light coming into the eye. A portion of that light-derived information is needed for many non-image-forming visual functions like programming our biological clocks, controlling eye movement, and influencing mood. A major region of the brain which receives this non-image-forming visual information is located in the ventral thalamus and known as the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN). Although the vLGN has connections with downstream regions involved in important functions, including visuomotor function, circadian photoentrainment, and vestibular function, it has not been well-studied. One reason for this significant gap in knowledge is that very little is known about funda- mental characteristics of vLGN, particularly with respect to its cellular and molecular landscape, thus making it technically challenging to develop tools to answer outstanding questions about its role in visual information pro- cessing. This study is motivated by the need to characterize the molecular architecture of vLGN, and to identify the neurons which form connections with retinal fibers. This project directly aligns with the BRAIN Initiative and the NIH's Blueprint Program by expanding fundamental understanding of neuroscience using innovative re- search methods to characterize cell types in the nervous system and mapping connected neurons in the brain. The results of this work will significantly impact the field and generate a deeper understanding of a visual region of the brain which receives, processes, and transmits non-image-forming visual information.