BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Comparative Connectomics: What We Learn and What We Miss - Tomke S
 türner - Drosophila Connectomics Group\, Department of Zoology and Neurob
 iology Division\, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
DTSTART:20250402T150000Z
DTEND:20250402T163000Z
UID:TALK229276@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Daniel Sobrido-Cameán
DESCRIPTION:Understanding the function of a single neuron requires knowled
 ge of its broader network context. Connectomics—the study of comprehensi
 ve neural connection maps\, often derived from electron microscopy (EM) da
 tasets—provides that wider context\, offering a powerful approach to add
 ress fundamental questions in circuit neuroscience. \n\nThe release of ful
 ly annotated connectomes for the female adult brain1\,2\, and the male adu
 lt ventral nerve cord (VNC) 3\,4 now enables the mapping of the ~160\,000 
 neurons within the entire Drosophila nervous system. To comprehend the bra
 in's influence on motor behaviour\, we focused on the Descending Neurons (
 DNs)\, a relatively small set of cells that act as a vital bottleneck in c
 onveying essential information from the brain to the VNC. We systematicall
 y matched DNs to available Light Microscopy (LM) data to connect these two
  truncated EM datasets\, enabling us to study circuits spanning from senso
 ry neurons in the brain to motor output in the VNC5. We identified broad s
 ets of DNs that control specific subsets of motor neurons and have compare
 d the full set of DNs in EM between the male and a female adult nerve cord
  dataset5\,6.\n\nUsing the Drosophila walking circuit5\,7 as an example\, 
 I will highlight three key aspects of connectomics research:\n1. What can 
 we learn by looking at static map of synaptic connections?\n2. How can we 
 study stereotypy and dimorphism with only 2 connectome datasets? \n3. What
  do we miss when looking at connectivity maps?\n\n1Dorkenwald et al. Neuro
 nal wiring diagram of an adult brain. Nature 634\, 124–138 (2024). \n2Sc
 hlegel et al. Whole-brain annotation and multi-connectome cell typing of D
 rosophila. Nature 634\, 139–152 (2024). \n3Takemura et al. A Connectome 
 of the Male Drosophila Ventral Nerve Cord. eLife 13:RP97769 (2024). \n4Mar
 in et al. Systematic annotation of a complete adult male Drosophila nerve 
 cord connectome reveals principles of functional organisation. eLife 13:RP
 97766 (2024). \n5Stürner and Brooks et al. Comparative connectomics of th
 e descending and ascending neurons of the Drosophila nervous system: stere
 otypy and sexual dimorphism. bioRxiv 2024.06.04.596633 (2024).\n6Azevedo e
 t al. Connectomic reconstruction of a female Drosophila ventral nerve cord
 . Nature 631\, 360–368 (2024).\n7Cheong\, Eichler and Stürner et al. Tr
 ansforming descending input into behavior: The organization of premotor ci
 rcuits in the Drosophila Male Adult Nerve Cord connectomeeLife13:RP96084 (
 2024).
LOCATION:Max Perutz Lecture Theatre. LMB. Cambridge.
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR