Comprehending and modelling the workings of the animal brain

真正了解大脑的运作机制是21世纪世纪神经科学面临的重大挑战。通过研究小脑动物，如蜜蜂，可以朝着这个目标取得进展。该项目旨在使用显微镜和药理学来分析蜜蜂学习和分类复杂事物的神经机制。这将使蜜蜂大脑决策的计算模型的建设。分析这个模型将测试对动物大脑运作的理解，以及什么模拟了它。这个项目旨在揭示神经回路如何做出复杂的决定;建立理解更大更复杂大脑的关键原则和基础研究，并产生机器学习的新方法。

Truly understanding how the brain operates is a grand challenge of 21st century neuroscience. Progress toward this goal can be made through studying small-brained animals, like the honey bee. This project aims to use microscopy and pharmacology to analyse the neural mechanisms by which bees learn and classify complex things. This will enable the construction of a computational model of decision making in the bee brain. Analysing this model will test what is understood about the operation of the animal brain, and what simulates it. This project aims to reveal how neural circuits make complex decisions; establish key principles and foundational studies for comprehending larger more complex brains, and yield new approaches to machine learning.