Institut Jacques Monod Seminar – Marion Silies

Invited by the Konstantinides Lab, Dr. Marion Silies (Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany) will present an Institut Jacques Monod seminar on the theme:

Heterogeneity of connectivity and function in the fly visual system

Abstract:

Visual systems are considered homogeneous structures where repeating visual units contain the same circuit motifs that fulfil the same functional role, leading to translation invariance. However, our recent work, analyzing full fly brain connectomes, revealed remarkable heterogeneity, even within anatomically and genetically identifiable cell types. I will describe this heterogeneity in synaptic connectivity, and address where it arises developmentally. Furthermore, I will discuss how heterogeneous circuit motifs can lead to degeneracy of neuronal function, and thus to both, reliablility and flexiblity of neuronal information processing in the visual system.