Neuronal Control of Adaptive Walking

这个项目试图了解来自大脑的信号是如何控制马达电路的，这样动物就可以适应地行走在不同的地形上，追求它不断变化的目标。它将专注于果蝇，作为一个模型。苍蝇是一种敏捷的步行者，它的神经系统已经在突触水平上得到了几乎完全的映射，遗传试剂可以有选择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。它将提高澳大利亚在连接组驱动的神经科学研究方面的能力，提供对神经元运动控制的基本见解，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.