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Department of Neurobiology
 
Wilson Lab
 

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The goal of our research is to understand how sensory stimuli are encoded in the brain. Our work focuses on a relatively simple, genetically tractable system—the brain of the fruit fly
Drosophila melanogaster.
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We are particularly interested in how olfactory and gustatory stimuli are represented in the nervous system.

Our goal is
to describe not only what information about chemical stimuli is represented, but also how these representations are constructed in biophysical terms. Therefore, we are investigating neural connectivity, synaptic properties, and intrinsic conductances among neurons of the fly brain which encode chemical stimuli. 

projection neuronWe primarily use electrophysiological techniques­, particularly whole-cell patch clamp recording and extracellular single-unit recording, to record from neurons in the Drosophila brain in vivo. Using the Gal4-UAS system, we can label identified cell groups with GFP in order to target our electrodes to specific neuronal populations.  We can also label neurons while recording from them; the image on the left depicts a dye-filled antennal lobe projection neuron, one of the second-order neurons of the Drosophila olfactory system.  By collecting both electrophysiological and anatomical data from genetically identified cells, we can understand a neuron's activity in the context of what we have already learned about the neural network that surrounds it.

We also use targeted genetic manipulations to test predictions about the role of specific neurons and neuronal properties in forming sensory representations. We can investigate the effects of these selective manipulations on two levels: first, on the electrophysiological activity of neural circuits, and second, on the behavioral responses of flies to sensory stimuli. In the future, we may also employ functional imaging of genetically-encoded fluorescent activity probes to complement electrophysiological methods.




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