Drosophila Connectomics

Our group is working towards building the first dense synaptic-resolution connectome of an adult fly's central nervous system (brain and ventral nerve cord). It will be the first time that a full connectome for an animal with eyes, legs and complex cognitive and motor behaviour will be generated. Our initial work on a male connectome will be followed by the generation of a female one. The goal is to obtain a comprehensive understanding of some of the sensory, motor and sensory-motor integration circuits, as well as sexually dimorphic differences. 

We're part of an international collaboration with HHMI Janelia Research Campus in the US, the MRC LMB in Cambridge and the University of Oxford Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, funded by the Wellcome. The electron microscopy volumes that underpin our neural reconstruction are generated at Janelia.

Zoology hosts 15 team members who are carrying out computer-assisted neuronal reconstruction and data analysis. They interact closely with a similar team in the US as well as experimental groups in Oxford and Cambridge.

For more details of our work see the Research page. Our team also has a blog dedicated to connectomics and our research projects. Apart from research, see here for what else we've been up to.