The Burrows Group: Insect Neurobiology

In our group headed by Professor Malcolm Burrows we study the fundamental principles underlying the actions of nervous systems.

Analysing insects enables important insights into the organisation of neurons in the central nervous system for the generation and control of natural movements. A particular focus is on the mechanisms of integration shown by local non-spiking and spiking interneurons in local networks of neurons. Our analysis always links the actions of these neurons directly to the behaviour in which they are involved and uses a combination of intracellular recording and staining methods, behavioural analyses with high-speed video, antibody staining, pharmacology, calcium imaging and confocal microscopy.