2024
2024
Master 2
Classical conditioning assay in a freely swimming fish

Danionella cerebrum is a tropical freshwater fish that has recently emerged as a promising model in systems neuroscience due to the complete transparency of its tiny brain. This unique characteristic allows for the functional monitoring of its entire brain at all age and thus to study the neuronal substrate of complex behavior.

In this project, we wish to use this model vertebrate to probe how basic learning mechanisms are implemented in the brain. As a first step, we need to establish a classical conditionning protocol in free-swimming Danionella, in which the animal will learn to associate a neutral stimulus (e.g. a given visual pattern) to a reward. 

The intern will use a closed-loop experimental plateform, already in place in the lab, in which the fish be tracked in real-time by a moving camera while exposed to a controled visual display. By adding an automatic module for food delivery and electric shock, it will be possible to set up an efficient learning protocol.

Once established and characterized, this protocol will be replicatyed in head-fixed functional imaging experiments in order to explore the neuronal substrate of this learning process.

Skills to be acquired during the project:

  • Behavioral recordings
  • Automated tracking systems
  • Data processing and analysis in Python

Supervisors:

This internship can be pursued by a Ph.D. thesis.


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