Optogenetic analyses of neuronal networks that generate behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract In compact brains, circuits consisting of few neurons fulfill functions of entire brain systems in mammals. Thus, studying these small circuits can provide insights and guidelines also for the study of the human brain. We developed methods and approaches to use optogenetics in the nervous and neuromuscular system of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. These include single-cell expression and/or photoactivation of optogenetic tools, to control the function of individual neurons, and behavioral, electrophysiological or electron microscopic analyses of circuit function and synaptic transmission. We studied a number of circuits involved in locomotion, navigation and food searching; we addressed new genes in synaptic vesicle recycling, and we identified a novel pathway of neuromodulatory presynaptic plasticity. In our laboratory, support by the Schram foundation allowed me to explore new avenues of research especially during the early years of my career.