2022

Press Release

6 Dec 2022

More flexible than thought: New insights into evolution and diversification of TGF-beta signaling

The TGF-ß cellular signaling network, essential to various functions in all metazoans and also involved in many severe human pathologies like autoimmune diseases and cancer, is more flexible than previously thought. Researchers at the MPI for Neurobiology of Behavior and the MPI for Biology discovered an unknown genetic variability in this signaling pathway amongst different nematode species resulting in morphological and behavioral variations. This fresh view on the TGF-ß machinery, published in Molecular Biology and Evolution, is important for understanding the evolution of signaling pathways, their adaptability to acquire novel functions and also for new strategies to control parasitic nematodes.

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Press Release

28 Nov 2022

Neuroscientists illuminate how brain cells deep in the cortex operate in freely moving mice

How can we see what neurons deep in the cortex are doing during behavior? Our researchers at the Department of Behavior and Brain Organization have developed a miniature microscope small enough to be carried on the head of a freely moving mouse and capable of measuring neuronal activity in all cortical layers, even the deepest ones. The two-gram microscope can be controlled remotely, which minimizes the need to handle the animal. The microscope also incorporates new technology enabling imaging in lit environments, something that all comparable microscopes struggled to do. Neuronal activity can now be imaged from all cortical layers in the freely moving mouse during the full range of the animal’s behaviors. This new microscope is a game changer for exploring the link between neural activity and complex animal behavior.

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Press Release

8 Nov 2022

How does a skeleton move? A new method to quantify skeletal kinematics in freely moving rodents

How can we measure a skeleton’s motion in a furry animal as it moves through its environment? Our researchers have developed a new method to quantify skeletal motion in freely moving rodents in a new level of accuracy and detail. It is based around building a skeleton-model that calculates bone joint movement using basic anatomical principles, such as joint rotation limits, and speeds at which bodies can move. This approach, published in Nature Methods, opens up a new ability to read out how animals interact with their environment and, as the brain and spinal cord drives movement, start unravelling the relationship between neuronal activity and complex behavior such as decision-making.

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Press Release

16 Jan 2022

New Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior – caesar now full member of the Max Planck Society

Since January 01st 2022, the research center caesar in Bonn has become the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior – caesar. Scientists from more than 35 nations study how the collective activity of vast numbers of neurons gives rise to the variety of animal behaviors across many species. They are now part of a large network that offers not only new scientific infrastructures, exchange and collaborations, but also a wide range of training and career opportunities. “Bringing the institute into the Max Planck family is an exciting time for us” agree the two directors Jason Kerr and Kevin Briggman.

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