Our research in color
Archive - MPI of Neurobiology until 2021

The following graphics are from the institute's research news. You can find more detailed information on the respective topics (in English and German) under the heading "Research / News" or in the news section on the individual department and group websites. If you have questions about the studies, would like to use a picture for another purpose or are looking for a similar graphic, please send us an e-mail.

Die folgenden Bilder stammen aus den Forschungsnachrichten des Instituts. Unter der Rubrik "Aktuelles / News" oder unter den News der einzelnen Abteilungen und Gruppen finden Sie die ausführlicheren Informationen zu den jeweiligen Themen (auf Deutsch und Englisch). Sollten Sie Fragen zu den Studien haben, ein Bild verwenden wollen oder ein ähnliches Bild suchen, schreiben Sie uns bitte eine E-Mail.

The origin of neuronal diversity

15. Dezember 2021

The origin of neuronal diversity

During development, so-called progenitor cells give rise to different types of neurons. By marking progenitor cells with a DNA barcode, researchers can track which cell types originate from which progenitor cells.
Research from the lab of Christian Mayer

© MPI of Neurobiology / Kuhl
Balancing fear

18. November 2021

Balancing fear

The insular cortex in the brain processes information about the heart rate to keep fear in balance.
Research from the lab of Nadine Gogolla.

© MPI of Neurobiology / Kuhl
Flawed quality control in the brain

24. September 2021

Flawed quality control in the brain

In cells that partially mimic Alzheimer’s disease, a protein sensor indicates the disruption in protein quality control (cell in the middle, green dots). In addition, deposits of misfolded proteins, characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease, are seen in purple. Nuclei are stained in blue.
Research from the lab of Irina Dudanova.

© MPI of Neurobiology / Blumenstock
From amateur to expert

21. September 2021

From amateur to expert

Mice can become experts in sorting images by subtle differences. Part of the acquired knowledge is stored in early visual areas of the brain.
Research from the labs of Mark Hübener and Tobias Bonhoeffer.

© MPI of Neurobiology / Kuhl
Perceiving motion

2. August 2021

Perceiving motion

In the optic lobe of a fruit fly brain (magenta), a group of neurons (green) is specialized in recognizing movements.
Research from the Borst department.

© MPI of Neurobiology / Leonte
Defined areas for incoming visual stimuli

30. Juli 2021

Defined areas for incoming visual stimuli

Information from both eyes reaches the visual thalamus in defined areas. Nerve fibers shown in green come from the eye located on the same side of the body as the thalamus shown, nerve fibers in red from the opposite eye.
Research from the Bonhoeffer department.

© MPI of Neurobiology / Martin H.P. Fernholz
The complex task of staying on course

29. Juli 2021

The complex task of staying on course

Fruit flies that cannot perceive motion have trouble maintaining their course in free flight.
Research from the Borst department.

© MPI of Neurobiology / Kuhl
Remember more by taking breaks

28. Juli 2021

Remember more by taking breaks

Longer intervals between learning events improve memory and lead to more robust activation patterns in the brain.
Research from the Bonhoeffer department.

© MPI of Neurobiology / Kuhl
Picky neurons

18. Juni 2021

Picky neurons

The agony of choice: Despite being in contact with both eyes, neurons in the mouse visual thalamus only transfer information from one retina.
Research from the Bonhoeffer department.

© MPI of Neurobiology / Kuhl
Simplifying our world

22. April 2021

Simplifying our world

Mice form categories to simplify their world. Showing that, researchers identified neurons that encode learned categories.
Research from the labs of Tobias Bonhoeffer and Mark Hübener

© MPI of Neurobiology / Kuhl
In a tight spot

4. März 2021

In a tight spot

The interaction of two brain regions helps zebrafish decide which predator to flee from.
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier.

© MPI of Neurobiology / Kuhl
Tracing the many paths of vision

10. Februar 2021

Tracing the many paths of vision

The molecular classification of neurons in the zebrafish retina allowed studying individual cell types and linking them to a specific structure, function and behavioral response.
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier

© MPI of Neurobiology / Kölsch
The neuronal basis for decision-making

27. Januar 2021

The neuronal basis for decision-making

A newly discovered brain circuit enhances the signals of relevant visual stimuli and suppresses those of unimportant ones.
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier.

© MPI of Neurobiology / Fernandes
A catalog of neurons

23. Dezember 2020

A catalog of neurons

A molecular catalog of neuronal cell types in the zebrafish retina helps to understand how visual stimuli are transformed into behavior.
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier.

© MPI of Neurobiology / Kuhl
Lighting up proteins

15. Dezember 2020

Lighting up proteins

Marked by a new technique, receptor proteins light up in green, revealing their position within motion-processing neurons (magenta).
Research from the lab of Alexander Borst.

© MPI of Neurobiology / Fendl
Preventing chronic itch

24. November 2020

Preventing chronic itch

A subpopulation of spinal inhibitory neurons help to tune out mechanosensory information during movement and thus to prevent self-generated itching.
Research from the lab of Rüdiger Klein

© MPI of Neurobiology / Escalante
Seeing the world through two eyes

11. November 2020

Seeing the world through two eyes

Researchers characterized several mouse brain areas to understand how the slightly differing images of the two eyes are integrated into one visual percept.
Research from the labs of Mark Hübener and Tobias Bonhoeffer

© MPI of Neurobiology / Kuhl
Seeing what isn`t real

6. November 2020

Seeing what isn`t real

Staring at the moving stripe pattern elicits the waterfall illusion: Once the movie stops, stationary objects appear to move in the opposite direction. Even tiny zebrafish larvae are susceptible to this illusion, enabling surprising insights into the workings of the brain.
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier

© MPI of Neurobiology / Kuhl
The protein dress of a neuron

28. Oktober 2020

The protein dress of a neuron

New method marks proteins and reveals the receptors in which neurons are dressed
Research from the lab of Alexander Borst

© MPI of Neurobiology / Kuhl
Making connections in the amygdala

14. Oktober 2020

Making connections in the amygdala

Neurons from the Insula Cortex connect with motor, physiological, and autonomic output streams in the central amygdala.
Research from the lab of Rüdiger Klein.

© MPI of Neurobiology / Ponserre
The right cells in the right spot

13. Oktober 2020

The right cells in the right spot

Neurons in a visual brain area of zebrafish are arranged as a map for catching prey.
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier.

© MPI of Neurobiology / Kuhl
An illusion as a window into the brain

22. September 2020

An illusion as a window into the brain

By triggering the waterfall illusion in zebrafish, researchers identified a subset of neurons that are responsible for seeing motion.
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier.

© MPI of Neurobiology / Kuhl
Individual differences in the brain

6. August 2020

Individual differences in the brain

If selection reinforces a behavior, brain activities soon change as well.
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier

© MPI of Neurobiology / Kuhl
Directed protein evolution with CRISPR-Cas9

22. Mai 2020

Directed protein evolution with CRISPR-Cas9

With the help of CRISPR-Cas9, scientists can now develop proteins that make even difficult components of a mammalian cell visible under the microscope.
Research from the lab of Oliver Griesbeck

© MPI of Neurobiology / Fabritius
Motion patterns instead of pixels

7. Mai 2020

Motion patterns instead of pixels

In a complex visual world, animals with very different brains react similar to specific stimuli – revealing similar processing of motion.
Research from the lab of Ruben Portugues.

© MPI of Neurobiology / Kuhl
The facial expressions of mice

2. April 2020

The facial expressions of mice

The facial expression of a mouse reveals its feelings, providing a possibility for researchers to study the underlying neuronal mechanisms of emotions.
Research from the lab of Nadine Gogolla

© MPI of Neurobiology/Kuhl
Everything is relative: How flies see the world

10. Januar 2020

Everything is relative: How flies see the world

The fly brain uses a simple but effective algorithm to calculate movement under varying contrast conditions.
Research from the lab of Alexander Borst

© MPI of Neurobiology/Kuhl
Artificial intelligence as behavioral analyst

19. Dezember 2019

Artificial intelligence as behavioral analyst

With the help of artificial intelligence, Max Planck neurobiologists have broken down the hunting behavior of zebrafish larvae into its components.
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier

© MPI of Neurobiology/Kuhl
Artificial intelligence as behavioral analyst

19. Dezember 2019

Artificial intelligence as behavioral analyst

Zebrafish larvae can modulate the movements of their tail continuously. Nevertheless, computer algorithms were able to detect three defined motion patterns.
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier

© MPI of Neurobiology/Mearns
Decision-making process becomes visible in the brain

2. Dezember 2019

Decision-making process becomes visible in the brain

To navigate in a complex environment, the brain needs to integrate relevant sensory information to make behavioral decisions.
Research from the lab of Ruben Portugues

© MPI of Neurobiology/Kuhl
When cells become cannibals

8. Oktober 2019

When cells become cannibals

In order to dissolve a close bond as quickly as possible, cells sometimes nibble a piece off each other's cell membrane. The ephrin ligand in one cell (red) binds with the Eph receptor in a neighboring cell (green). The neighboring cell then devours the relatively large receptor-ligand complex (yellow).
Research from the lab of Ruediger Klein

© MPI of Neurobiology/Gaitanos
Safe on your feet: Sense of touch is more important than expected

2. Oktober 2019

Safe on your feet: Sense of touch is more important than expected

Spinal neurons process tactile information. Along with feedback from the brain, these neurons are able to refine the motions of the legs.
Research from the lab of Ruediger Klein

© MPI of Neurobiology/Kuhl
An island for negative emotions

27. August 2019

An island for negative emotions

Neurons in the posterior insular cortex process negative emotions and states and can consequently affect the food intake or exploratory drive of mice.
Research from the lab of Nadine Gogolla

© MPI of Neurobiology / Kuhl
Brain region for close-up exploration

15. August 2019

Brain region for close-up exploration

When mammals look at an object with both eyes, the 3D neurons react to the small deviation in the viewing angle. The cells help three-dimensional vision and depth perception, enabling an animal to calculate distance.
Research from the lab of Tobias Bonhoeffer

© MPI of Neurobiology/ La Chioma
Brain region for close-up exploration

15. August 2019

Brain region for close-up exploration

When mice look at nearby objects through 3D glasses, nerve cells in the RL region of their brain become active. The resulting image of the nearby, accessible environment may help to interact with nearby objects or other mice, for example.
Research from the lab of Tobias Bonhoeffer

© MPI of Neurobiology/Kuhl
Interactive zebrafish brain

1. Juli 2019

Interactive zebrafish brain

Neurobiologists publish the first interactive nerve cell atlas for the brain of zebrafish. They want to understand how distinct brain areas coordinate their activity to control behavior.
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier

© MPI of Neurobiology/Kunst
Live streaming the brain - Neurons in the pretectum calculate space-filling movements

1. Juli 2019

Live streaming the brain - Neurons in the pretectum calculate space-filling movements

When an image of the environment moves past zebrafish eyes, they react by swimming in the same direction. Neurobiologists in Herwig Baier’s Department have shown which neuronal pathways coordinate this behavior.
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier

© MPI of Neurobiology/Kuhl
Artificial intelligence learns to recognize nerve cells by their appearance

21. Juni 2019

Artificial intelligence learns to recognize nerve cells by their appearance

New artificial neuronal networks can now recognize and assign nerve cells independently based on their appearance.
Research from the lab of Winfried Denk

© MPI of Neurobiology/Kuhl
Multitasking with perfection: Nerve cell works like 1400 individual cells

25. April 2019

Multitasking with perfection: Nerve cell works like 1400 individual cells

The amacrine cell CT1 from the Drosophila brain works with its subunits like 1400 individual cells.
Research from the lab of Alexander Borst

© MPI of Neurobiology/ Meier
Making sense of the cerebellum

25. Januar 2019

Making sense of the cerebellum

Neurobiologists uncovered an organization of the zebrafish cerebellum into three behavioral modules.
Research from the lab of Ruben Portugues

© MPI of Neurobiology/Kuhl
It takes more than a global impression to move a fish

15. Januar 2019

It takes more than a global impression to move a fish

Zebrafish use global as well as local clues to perceive possible drifting. The local detection pathway may use a circuit that also enables the fish to detect predators and escape from them.
Research from the lab of Ruben Portugues

© MPI of Neurobiology/Kuhl
Should I stay or should I go? Decisions take a straight path through the fish brain

19. Dezember 2018

Should I stay or should I go? Decisions take a straight path through the fish brain

Predator or prey? Neurobiologists demonstrate which nerve cell pathways cause a zebrafish to move towards an object or to flee from it.
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier

© MPI of Neurobiology/Helmbrecht
Three nerve cells are sufficient to steer a fly

6. Dezember 2018

Three nerve cells are sufficient to steer a fly

HS cells in the fly brain respond to large-area horizontal movements of the environment. The cells use these information to slow down the legs either on the right or the left side of the body to initiate a rotational movement.
Research from the lab of Alexander Borst

© MPI of Neurobiology/Kuhl
How to recognise your own kind

1. November 2018

How to recognise your own kind

Neurobiologists show in zebrafish that a simple dot, animated in specific way, is sufficient to trigger shoaling.
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier

© MPI of Neurobiology/Kuhl
Protein for deeper insights into the brain

17. September 2018

Protein for deeper insights into the brain

Aided by a new method, scientists have developed the protein mCarmine, which makes neurons and structures deep in the brain visible under the microscope much more easily.
Research from the lab of Oliver Griesbeck

© MPI of Neurobiology/Kuhl
Spontaneity in the brain

31. August 2018

Spontaneity in the brain

Ruben Portugues and Michael Orger were awarded a Life? Research Grant of the VW Foundation to investigate how spontaneous behavior arises in the brain.
Research from the lab of Ruben Portugues

© MPI of Neurobiology/Kuhl
LC10 – the neuron that tracks fruit flies

19. Juli 2018

LC10 – the neuron that tracks fruit flies

LC10 visual projection neurons are essential to recognize and visually track a female fruit fly during courtship.
Research from the lab of Alexander Borst

© MPI of Neurobiology/Kuhl
Artificial neural networks now able to help reveal a brain’s structure.

16. Juli 2018

Artificial neural networks now able to help reveal a brain’s structure.

Flood-filling network (FFN) neuron reconstructions in a songbird basal ganglia SBEM data set.
Research from the lab of Winfried Denk

© MPI of Neurobiology/Kornfeld
Circuit diagram for the spinal cord's gear box

5. Juni 2018

Circuit diagram for the spinal cord's gear box

The spinal cord's neuronal network contains the mechanism that enables vertebrates - such as zebrafish - to swim at different speeds.
Research from the lab of Winfried Denk

© MPI of Neurobiology/Kuhl
Thalamus helps the cerebrum with learning

14. November 2017

Thalamus helps the cerebrum with learning

When the input signals from the two eyes change, not only the neurons in the visual cortex alter their activity but also the thalamus cells. Hence, contrary to the textbook view, both regions of the brain are plastic.
Research from the lab of Tobias Bonhoeffer

© MPI of Neurobiology/Rose
Brain region mediates pleasure of eating

21. August 2017

Brain region mediates pleasure of eating

HTR2a-expressing neurons in the mouse amygdala are active during eating (peaks in the activity) to promote food consumption. (Activity patterns of individual cells are shown in different colours).
Research from the lab of Ruediger Klein

© MPI of Neurobiology/ Douglass & Kucukderel
Illuminating neural pathways in the living brain

24. Juli 2017

Illuminating neural pathways in the living brain

Researchers can activate individual neurons in the zebrafish brain with light (magenta) and observe which neighboring cells are connected to the neuron in the same circuit (yellow).
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier

© MPI of Neurobiology/Foerster
Go against the flow

12. Juli 2017

Go against the flow

Scientists showed that the lateral line helps zebrafish larvae to detect minute differences in water-flow between their right side and left side. The fish are thus able to prevent drifting off in water flowing with constant velocity.
Research from the lab of Ruben Portugues

© MPI of Neurobiology/ Kuhl, Kasper & Oteíza
Remote control of behaviour by optically activating single neurons

17. Mai 2017

Remote control of behaviour by optically activating single neurons

Using a new suite of methods, neurobiologists can activate individual neurons of zebrafish larvae with targeted light beams and then record how the activity spreads through the brain to initiate behaviour.
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier

© MPI of Neurobiology/ dal Maschio
The formation of folds on the surface of the brain

4. Mai 2017

The formation of folds on the surface of the brain

Without adhesion molecules of the FLRT receptor family, the normally smooth mouse cortex, forms folds, which correspond to the structure of the human brain. The neurons shown in this image are stained to mark the corresponding brain layers – green for the outer layer and red for the deeper layers. The other cells are blue.
Research from the lab of Ruediger Klein

© MPI of Neurobiology/del Toro, Cederfjäll
Live from the cerebellum, the center for sensory-motor integration

20. April 2017

Live from the cerebellum, the center for sensory-motor integration

The cerebellum has a stereotypical three-layered configuration, which is conserved from fish to mammals. In the larval zebrafish brain (in grey) the granule cell layer (green) sends parallel fibers to the molecular layer, where they contact the dendrites of the Purkinje cells (magenta). Inferior olivary neurons (red) also provide inputs to the Purkinje cells. Scale bar = 100 microns; the head of the fish is oriented towards the top of the image.
Research from the lab of Ruben Portugues

© MPI of Neurobiology/ Knogler
The more active the fly, the faster its brain works

3. April 2017

The more active the fly, the faster its brain works

The fly brain calculates movements from signals transmitted by different types of cells (four, shown here in colour) – and motion detection speeds up once the animals start to move.
Research from the Lab of Alexander Borst

© MPI of Neurobiology/Meier, Serbe & Arenz
Understanding the brain with the help of artificial intelligence

27. Februar 2017

Understanding the brain with the help of artificial intelligence

Neurobiologists aim to decode the brain’s circuitry with the help of artificial neural networks.
Research from the lab of Winfried Denk

© MPI of Neurobiology/Kuhl
Hungry cells on the move

6. September 2016

Hungry cells on the move

Ephrins (blue) and Ephs (red) form complexes (yellow) at cell contact points. To enable the cells to separate from each other, they are pulled into one of the cells with the help of the signalling proteins Tiam and Rac.
Research from the lab of Ruediger Klein

© MPI of Neurobiology/Gaitanos
Neuron unites two theoretical models on motion detection

9. August 2016

Neuron unites two theoretical models on motion detection

The fly brain recognizes and processes movements very quickly and accurately. Researchers have now combined two theoretical models on how nerve cells compute motion direction from light signals which successively reach adjacent facets of the eye.
Research from the lab of Alexander Borst

© MPI of Neurobiology / Schorner
Neurons form synapse clusters

19. Juli 2016

Neurons form synapse clusters

The synapses of pyramid cells in the cerebral cortex form functional groups. Some of the related synapses are shown in green in the reconstruction.
Research from the lab of Tobias Bonhoeffer

© MPI of Neurobiology/Scheuss
Cells send out stop signs

4. Juli 2016

Cells send out stop signs

Membrane-attached signaling molecules make nerve cell filaments retract over a distance. Axonal growth cones of young neurons collapse after coming in contact with Eph receptors from exosomes.
Research from the lab of Ruediger Klein

© MPI of Neurobiology/Gong
Stable perception in the adult brain

9. Juni 2016

Stable perception in the adult brain

Active neurons of the visual mouse cortex at changed sensory stimuli. The images in one row show one single nerve cell each. Each field of a colour block corresponds to one study (10 in total) over a period of two months. The partial images of the left block (yellow / red) show the structure of a nerve cell. In the middle two blocks the colours correspond to how strongly a cell responds to visual stimuli of different orientations. The second block represents the eye opposite to the examined brain hemisphere (here: the left eye). The third block corresponds to the right eye. The right block (blue / red) represents the relative response strength of the cells with stimulation of the dominant left eye (contralateral) relative to the right (ipsilateral) eye (contralateral: blue, ipsilateral: red, binocular Dominance: white). After closure of the left contralateral eye, some cells are more sensitive to the eye which remained open and thus appear red after the 3rd and 7th investigation.
Research from the lab of Tobias Bonhoeffer

© MPI of Neurobiology/Rose
Smelling and tasting what’s good

4. Mai 2016

Smelling and tasting what’s good

The taste neurons in the leg of the fruit fly are activated via two types of polyamine receptors. This helps the fly to choose food and good egg-laying sites.
Research from the lab of Ilona Grunwald Kadow

© MPI of Neurobiology/Loschek
Hunger shifts sensory perception in the fish brain

14. April 2016

Hunger shifts sensory perception in the fish brain

Serotonergic nerve cells (green) have broadly distributed connections in the zebrafish brain. A new paper now shows that they influence how the brain perceives objects. (The eyes of the fish larva are shown in orange.)
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier

© MPI of Neurobiology/Filosa
Neuronal calculations consider expectations

2. März 2016

Neuronal calculations consider expectations

T4 cells in the fly brain become particularly active when the eyes perceive a slowly moving bright edge.
Research from the lab of Alexander Borst

© MPI of Neurobiology/Ammer
Neuronal calculations consider expectations

2. März 2016

Neuronal calculations consider expectations

Tests carried out in a virtual environment show how expected features in a complex environment are taken into account in neuronal calculations.
Research from the lab of Alexander Borst

© MPI of Neurobiology/ Prech & Leonhardt
Cells that show where things are going

4. Februar 2016

Cells that show where things are going

Clarity in the cellular thicket. Four classes of nerve cell (Tm9, 4, 1 and 2) are instrumental in calculating directionally selective signals in T5 neurons (yellow).
Research from the lab of Alexander Borst

© MPI of Neurobiology
Relative perception of the world

3. Dezember 2015

Relative perception of the world

Using sophisticated behavioural testing apparatus, neurobiologists are decoding the fruit fly's perception and the underlying neural circuits.
Research from the lab of Alexander Borst

© MPI of Neurobiology
Decision-making in the fly brain

20. August 2015

Decision-making in the fly brain

Nerve cells that use dopamine as a neurotransmitter (green) enable hungry flies to ignore danger signs and modulate their innate behaviour.
Research from the lab of Ilona Grunwald Kadow

© MPI of Neurobiology/Friedrich
Inhibitory synapses influence signals in the brain with high precision

6. August 2015

Inhibitory synapses influence signals in the brain with high precision

Inhibitory nerve cells (green) can use individual synapses to modulate or block signal processing in cells in the cerebral cortex (red).
Research from the lab of Tobias Bonhoeffer

© MPI of Neurobiology/Müllner
Surprising similarity in fly and mouse motion vision

29. Juli 2015

Surprising similarity in fly and mouse motion vision

The neural circuits for motion vision are surprisingly similar in the fly and mouse brain.
Research from the lab of Alexander Borst

© MPI of Neurobiology/Schorner
Cellular motion filters

16. Juli 2015

Cellular motion filters

The brain processes the different directions of motion locally in separate layers. A new cell type (shown in colour) breaks this structure and prevents inappropriate activation of downstream wide-field neurons by mutual inhibition of the layers.
Research from the lab of Alexander Borst

© A. Nern, Janelia Research Campus
Fish on the run

25. Juni 2015

Fish on the run

The zebrafish tectum recognizes an approaching object as a threat. This brain area is innervated by axons from the eye (stained blue).
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier

© MPI of Neurobiology/Temizer
Open road to the circuit diagram of the brain

13. April 2015

Open road to the circuit diagram of the brain

A new staining method closes one of the last methodological gaps: Now it's possible to map every nerve cell and its synapses in a mouse brain.
Research from the lab of Winfried Denk

© MPI of Neurobiology/Mikula
Relative perception of the world

3. Februar 2015

Relative perception of the world

The bar in this contrast illusion is uniformly grey, even if the right side of the bar appears darker than the left. If the luminance of the grey bar now changes, both humans and flies see a motion illusion.
Research from the lab of Alexander Borst

© MPI of Neurobiology
Which dot will they hunt?

15. Dezember 2014

Which dot will they hunt?

When a zebrafish larva sees a prey object, this information is sent to neurons in the AF7 region of the brain. These neurons (one of which is shown here in blue) then send the hunting impulse to the areas that control movement.
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier

© MPI of Neurobiology/Semmelhack
Navigation for nerve cells

22. Oktober 2014

Navigation for nerve cells

Neurons with the Unc5-receptor send their axons in a cell culture in all directions. The processes avoid the parallel orientated stripes containing the FLRT3-protein (red).
Research from the lab of Ruediger Klein

© Seiradake et al, Neuron 2014
Neurons in a forest of signposts

22. Oktober 2014

Neurons in a forest of signposts

During development, nerve cells (shown in blue, green, violet and yellow) extend their axons to target leg muscles. If the EphA4 receptors of the growing nerve cells no longer encounter freely accessible ephrins, the axons of many nerve cells (violet) are no longer able to find their partner cells.
Research from the lab of Ruediger Klein

© MPI of Neurobiology/Gatto
Faster fish thanks to nMLF neurons

24. Juli 2014

Faster fish thanks to nMLF neurons

Looking into the brain of a zebrafish larva. The neurons in the retina (green) send their signals from the eyes (yellow) to the brain. The cells linking the brain and spinal cord appear in red.
Research from the lab of Ruben Portugues

© MPI of Neurobiology/Portugues
Division of labour in the fish brain

24. Juli 2014

Division of labour in the fish brain

With the help of optogenetics, scientists are able to activate small sets of neurons (purple) within the nMLF-region of the zebrafish larva’s midbrain (red box).
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier

© MPI of Neurobiology/Thiele
How vision makes sure that little fish do not get carried away

16. April 2014

How vision makes sure that little fish do not get carried away

Newly discovered neuron type (yellow) helps zebrafish to coordinate its eye and swimming movements. The image shows the blue-stained brain of a fish larva with the suggested position of the eyes.
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier

© MPI of Neurobiology/Kubo
Synapses – stability in transformation

16. April 2014

Synapses – stability in transformation

During the learning processes, extensions grow on neurons. Synapses are located at the end of these extensions (left: as seen in nature; right: reconstruction). When the synapse growth is based on the correlated development of all synaptic components, it can remain stable for long periods of time.
Research from the lab of Tobias Bonhoeffer

© MPI of Neurobiology/Meyer
New lights for research

18. Februar 2014

New lights for research

The new "Twitch"-sensors are tiny calcium indicators which are synthesized by the cell itself. If a cell does something, for example it becomes active, calcium enters the cell. Some of this calcium binds to "Twitch", which responds with a change in structure. This transformation is accompanied by a change in fluorescent color, detectable under the microscope.
Research from the lab of Oliver Griesbeck

© MPI of Neurobiology/Schorner
Sociable receptors: in pairs, in groups or in a crowd

5. Februar 2014

Sociable receptors: in pairs, in groups or in a crowd

Countless Eph receptors (green) can be found on the surface of this neuron. When they are artificially induced to form groups, the nerve process, or axon (red tip), withdraws.
Research from the lab of Ruediger Klein

© MPI of Neurobiology/Dudanova
Parkinson gene: Nerve growth factor halts mitochondrial degeneration

30. Januar 2014

Parkinson gene: Nerve growth factor halts mitochondrial degeneration

Parkinson gene: Nerve growth factor halts mitochondrial degeneration.
Research from the lab of Ruediger Klein

© MPI of Neurobiology/Klein
Two-way traffic in the spinal cord

18. Dezember 2013

Two-way traffic in the spinal cord

A newly described type of nerve cell revealed by purple staining in the embryonic spinal cord. These cells obtain their input from touch-sensitive cells, send their axons from the spinal cord towards the brain and probably act as a guidance system for axons which grow out of the brain into the spinal cord.
Research from the lab of Ruediger Klein

© MPI of Neurobiology/ Paixão
When neurons have less to say, they say it with particular emphasis

16. Oktober 2013

When neurons have less to say, they say it with particular emphasis

Even when neurons in the visual cortex are cut off from their main source of information, within 48 hours their activity returns to a level similar to that prior to the disruption. Under the microscope the currently active cells light up thanks to the addition of a calcium indicator.
Research from the lab of Tobias Bonhoeffer

© MPI of Neurobiology/Huebener
The brain: with all its cells and their connections

7. August 2013

The brain: with all its cells and their connections

950 neurons reconstructed in a block of mouse retina, imaged using serial block-face electron microscopy (gray images). Spheres indicate cell bodies (red, ganglion cells, green, amacrine cells).
Research from the lab of Winfried Denk

© MPI for Medical Research, Heidelberg,
The brain: with all its cells and their connections

7. August 2013

The brain: with all its cells and their connections

950 neurons in a block of mouse retina, reconstructed from serial block-face electron microscopy data by more than 200 undergraduate students. Spheres indicate the cell bodies (ganglion cells: blue, amacrine cells: green, bipolar cells: orange, photoreceptors: gray). “Skeleton” reconstructions of all neurons appear as web between the cell body layers. Black/white background shows the final connectivity matrix (the “connectome”) between the 950 neurons.
Research from the lab of Winfried Denk

© MPI for Medical Research, Heidelberg
Motion layers in the brain

7. August 2013

Motion layers in the brain

In the brains of fruit flies, specific neurons are tuned for directional information about a movement and pass this information into separate, independent layers of the brain.
Research from the lab of Alexander Borst

© MPI of Neurobiology/Borst
Depressed fish could help in the search for new drug treatments

5. August 2013

Depressed fish could help in the search for new drug treatments

Zebrafish with a mutation in the glucocorticoid receptor exhibit passive behaviour in a stressful situation. The behaviour returns to normal with a commercial antidepressant in the water. The findings demonstrate a significant correlation between stress regulation and mood disorders, one which evidently plays a central role in humans, too.
Research from the lab of Herwig Baier

© MPI of Neurobiology/Schorner
Different neural circuits process environmental signals depending on the state of satiation

25. Juni 2013

Different neural circuits process environmental signals depending on the state of satiation

This projection neuron forwards carbon dioxide information to the region in the fly's brain where the animals can gauge internal and external signals.
Research from the lab of Ilona Grunwald Kadow

© MPI of Neurobiolog/ Purayil & Kadow

Our research in colorArchive - MPI of Neurobiology until 2021

Our research in color
Archive - MPI of Neurobiology until 2021