Neural and genetic control of path integration

Darwin was among the first to propose that animals probably use self-motion cues when navigating in featureless environments, a mode of navigation known as path integration. While an extensive literature supports the role of path integration in navigation, the cellular and circuit algorithms of this process remain unmapped. Such knowledge is critical for understanding one of the most fundamental features of our brain: representation of 'self' and 'surround'. I will use a genetic screen in Drosophila to identify the neural circuit of path integration and characterise how the central complex neurons integrate self-motion cues. I will then test how olfactory and motion information streams are combined during olfactory navigation. Finally, I want to check whether transcription factors like FoxP act as 'behavioural toolkit' genes, subserving general roles in processes requiring that information is integrated at seconds to minutes timescales. I will address these questions in Drosophila using a combination of genetic screens, behavioural assays, functional imaging under virtual reality arena, whole-cell recordings and transcriptional profiling. My work will shed light on the neural basis of the 'sense of direction' and contribute to the wider questions of sensory coding and temporal integration.