Projects
BRAin Network DYnamics
BRANDY Project page
Methods
- coordination of common teaching activities
- support of students’ interest and engagement in brain network dynamics throughout all stages of their early academic carrier
- formation of a collaborative environment for young academics
Objectives
- Foundation of a Strategic Unit for the Interdisciplinary Research on Brain Network Dynamics
- Creation of a cluster of experts in this fast growing field of research
- Development of an infrastructure, optimized for information exchange among the partners
- Formation of a collaborative environment for young academics with different skills for common research initiatives
- Generation of visibility of our actions for the international research community
Project coordinator
- Albrecht Haase (DF & CIMeC)
Partners
Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC)
- Unit leader: Jorge Jovicich
- Project members: Daniel Baldauf, Ludovico Minati, Carlo Miniussi
Department of Physics (DF)
- Unit leader: Paolo Bettotti
- Project members: Renzo Antolini, Lorenzo Pavesi, Leonardo Ricci
Department of Information Engineering and Computer Sciences (DISI)
- Unit Leader: Lorenzo Bruzzone
- Project member: Nicu Sebe
Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO)
- Unit Leader: Marco Canossa
Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK)
Italian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Financing
- 3 year stratigic project financed by the Strategic Plan 2017-2021 of the University of Trento
Sublethal effects of neonicotinoids on the honeybee brain: from single neuron imaging to colony studies.
STEFANIE Project page
Methods
- functional imaging of different regions along the odour processing pathway
- controlled perfusion of the brain with active substances during imaging
- comparative behavioural studies unsing PER
Objectives
- determine brain regions sensitive to neonicotinoid pesticides
- quantify relevant doses for onset of effects in the olfactory system
- compare effects in the brain to behavioural symtoms in field studies
Project coordinator
- Albrecht Haase (DF & CIMeC)
Partners
- Sergio Angeli (University of Bolzano)
- Gianfranco Anfora (FEM)
- Paolo Fontana and Valeria Malagnini (FEM)
Financing
- 3 year project financed by the Provincia autonoma di Bolzano
Of bees and men: Development of an optogenetic animal model to study oscillatory neural networks.
Methods
- high temporal resolution imaging of respones to odour stimuli
- analysis of oscillatory activity in the honeybee brain
- development of an optogenetic toolbox for real-time modulation of the olfactory processing network
Objectives
- temporal coding in odour perception
- connectivity in the olfactory network
- changes in the network properties under optogenetic modulation of single nodes
Project coordinator
- Albrecht Haase (DF & CIMeC)
Partners
- Nathan Weisz (University of Salzburg)
- Paolo Macchi and Anna Cereseto (CIBIO)
- Renzo Antolini (DF)
- Luca Faes (FBK) and Giandomenico Nollo (DII)
- Gianfranco Anfora (FEM)
Financing
- as a Strategic Project by the Università degli studi di Trento
Fundamental processes in odorant receptor interaction: beyond the shape theory of olfaction
Methods
- studying odour coding of compounds that share chemical properties but differ in molecular vibration and vice versa
- develope in vitro essays to study odour receptor interaction
Objectives
- trace back insects' ability to destiguish chemically identical odour compounds
- study possible influence of molecular vibrations
- exclude alternative explainations for differential odour coding
Partners
- Paolo Macchi (CIBIO)
- Renzo Antolini (DF)
- Luca Turin and Efthimios Skoulakis (BSRC "Alexander Fleming", Vari, Greece)
- Marco Paoli and Giovanni Galizia (University of Konstanz)
Financing
- supported by an EMBO Short-Term Fellowship ASTF 108-2015
Insect brain imaging: from fundamental neuroscience to pest control
Methods
- two-photon in vivo imaging of insect brains in vivo to outperform conventional microscopy by spatial and temporal resolution, penetration depth and photodamage limitation
Objectives
- Odour coding principles in the honeybee brain
- Morphological and functional plasticity in the honeybee brain after associative or non-associative learning
- In of odour perception due to neurotoxic pesticides as a possible cause for the western world honeybee population decline (Colony Collapse Disorder)
Project coordinator
- Albrecht Haase (DF & CIMeC)
Financing
- as Research unit (IBRAIM) by the Provincia Autonoma di Trento
Sustainable strategies against infesting flies: from olfactory perception to a safeguard of small fruits in Trentino
Methods
- behaviour experiments in Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila suzukii
- optical imaging of transgenetic fruitflies
Objectives
- differences between D. suzukii e D. melanogaster regarding reception, behaviour, and neuroanatomy.
- development of sostainable strategies to explore these results to couteract the diffusion of D. suzukii.
Project coordinator
- Albrecht Haase (DF & CIMeC)
Partners
- Elisabetta Versace and Giorgio Vallortigara (ACN lab, CIMeC)
- Gianfranco Anfora (FEM)
Financing
- by the Communal Government of the City of Rovereto
Multifunctional nanohybrid photosensitizers for Photodynamic therapy via X-ray and IR activation
Methods
- synthetization and functionalization of photo-sensitive silicon Nanowires
- in vitro experiments on IR activation, and quantification of phototoxic effects
Objectives
- development of a photosensitizer that is fexibly activatible at very different wavelength
- characterization of functionality in cell cultures
Project coordinator
- Roberto Verucchi (Institute of materials for electronics and magnetism, CNR)
Partners
- Roberta Tatti (IMEM, CNR)
- Albrecht Haase and Renzo Antolini (DF and CIMeC)
- Thomas Paternoster and Nicola Berti (Sandoz Industries)
Financing
- by Fondazione Cassa di risparmio di Trento e Rovereto