Internal representations of the world are essential for intelligent behavior. Without them, it is impossible to mentally rehearse a situation or plan strategically. Humans and other mammals have specialized neurons, called orientation cells, that create a mental map of the environment.
In recent years, orientation cells have also been detected in birds and fish. However, how these neurons work together to create cognitive maps remains a central mystery in neuroscience. "We lack a mechanistic understanding of the underlying calculations and their biological implementation," explains Jennifer Li.
Thanks to the small size and transparency of their brains, zebrafish can offer unique insights into cognitive functions. For the first time, activity throughout a fish's entire brain during spatial navigation will be recorded, and a detailed map of the neural connections within the same individual will be created. This interdisciplinary project will thus shed light on how cognitive maps emerge from the interactions of orientation cells. "Our project could fundamentally advance our understanding of biological and perhaps even artificial intelligence," says Drew Robson.
Robson and his colleague Jennifer Li are part of a four-person team that won an ERC Synergy Grant for the project "Neural Implementation of Cognitive Maps for Navigation." The €10 million grant will enable a six-year project investigating how zebrafish mentally represent their environment.
Li and Robson, who jointly lead the Systems Neuroscience & Neuroengineering research group at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen, received the funding together with Herwig Baier from the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence (Martinsried/Seewiesen) and Rainer Friedrich from the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (Basel).
ERC Synergy Grants are awarded by the European Research Council. The funding supports teams of up to four project leaders in carrying out ambitious collaborative projects.
