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PhD Research Project

Marta Zlatic

Circuit basis of learning and action-selection in Drosophila

Marta Zlatic

PhD Research Projects

The overall goal of our research is to discover the circuit implementation of learning and action selection. Since these functions likely emerge from parallel and distributed computations across many interconnected brain areas, over the past five years we have established an approach that involves combining comprehensive, brain-wide analysis of structure and function in the tractable Drosophila larva. Recently we have generated a comprehensive, synaptic-resolution wiring diagram of the entire brain and a comprehensive genetic toolkit for the selective manipulation of each uniquely identified neuron type.

Possible PhD projects will involve:

  1. Identifying the patterns of activity in individual neurons in the brain that correlate with the formation of specific memories and/or the selection of specific actions, using light-sheet and two-photon imaging of neural activity or patch-clamp recordings.
  2. Testing whether the candidate neurons are required and sufficient for learning and action selection by manipulating them using optogenetics or thermogenetics in freely behaving animals.
  3. Identifying genes required for learning and memory in specific neurons using RNAseq and testing whether they are required using targeted knockdown.

Relevant Reading

The connectome of an insect brainWinding M, Pedigo BD, Barnes CL, Patsolic HG, Park Y, Kazimiers T, Fushiki A, Andrade IV, Khandelwal A, Valdes-Aleman J, Li F, Randel N, Barsotti E, Correia A, Fetter RD, Hartenstein V, Priebe CE, Vogelstein JT, Cardona A, Zlatic MScience 379(6636): (2023)
Circuits for integrating learned and innate valences in the insect brainEschbach C, Fushiki A, Winding M, Afonso B, Andrade IV, Cocanougher BT, Eichler K, Gepner R, Si G, Valdes-Aleman J, Fetter RD, Gershow M, Jefferis GSXE, Samuel ADT, Truman JW, Cardona A, Zlatic MeLife 10: (2021)
Comparative Connectomics Reveals How Partner Identity, Location, and Activity Specify Synaptic Connectivity in DrosophilaValdes-Aleman J, Fetter RD, Sales EC, Heckman EL, Venkatasubramanian L, Doe CQ, Landgraf M, Cardona A, Zlatic MNeuron 109(1): 105-122.e7 (2021)
Recurrent architecture for adaptive regulation of learning in the insect brain.Eschbach C, Fushiki A, Winding M, Schneider-Mizell CM, Shao M, Arruda R, Eichler K, Valdes-Aleman J, Ohyama T, Thum AS, Gerber B, Fetter RD, Truman JW, Litwin-Kumar A, Cardona A, Zlatic MNat Neurosci 23(4): 544-555 (2020)
Useful road maps: studying Drosophila larva’s central nervous system with the help of connectomicsEschbach C, Zlatic MCurrent Opinion in Neurobiology 65: 129-137 (2020)
The complete connectome of a learning and memory centre in an insect brainEichler K, Li F, Litwin-Kumar A, Park Y, Andrade I, Schneider-Mizell CM, Saumweber T, Huser A, Eschbach C, Gerber B, Fetter RD, Truman JW, Priebe CE, Abbott LF, Thum AS, Zlatic M, Cardona ANature 548(7666): 175-182 (2017)
Competitive Disinhibition Mediates Behavioral Choice and Sequences in Drosophila.Jovanic T, Schneider-Mizell CM, Shao M, Masson JB, Denisov G, Fetter RD, Mensh BD, Truman JW, Cardona A, Zlatic MCell 167(3): 858-870.e19 (2016)
A multilevel multimodal circuit enhances action selection in Drosophila.Ohyama T, Schneider-Mizell CM, Fetter RD, Aleman JV, Franconville R, Rivera-Alba M, Mensh BD, Branson KM, Simpson JH, Truman JW, Cardona A, Zlatic MNature 520(7549): 633-9 (2015)

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