Modulation of circuit dynamics by noradrenergic signalling in the annelid model Platynereis  

Noradrenalin promotes wakefulness and regulates heart rate and other functions. It was thought to only be been found in vertebrates, but my team has discovered this molecule in some marine invertebrates. 

I will study noradrenergic signalling in the ragworm Platynereis. Platynereis is a powerful new laboratory model for the study of the function of neural circuits. I will use a multidisciplinary approach to understand the details of noradrenergic signalling at a single neuron resolution. I will use whole-brain imaging, transgenesis and CRISPR technology and study ragworm larvae in behavioural assays. I will also use high-resolution microscopy to reconstruct the noradrenergic circuits. 

These studies will allow us to understand noradrenergic signalling at unprecedented detail in a simple and fully-mapped nervous system.