[Comp-neuro] Fwd: Call for Application for a three year Doctoral Fellowship (2013-2016)

Call for Application for a three year Doctoral Fellowship (2013-2016)

Research Unit / Team :
UMR 1272 Insect Physiology: Signalling and Communication. INRA - Versailles
http://www-physiologie-insecte.versailles.inra.fr/indexenglish.php
Team « Coding, Behaviour, Modulation »
(http://www-physiologie-insecte.versailles.inra.fr/team2.php)

Title :
Role of intrinsic properties of projection neurons of the antennal lobe
in the moth olfactory coding: experiments and modelling.

Contacts :
Supervisor: Philippe LUCAS (philippe.lucas@versailles.inra.fr - Tel: +33
1 30 83 37 37)
http://www-physiologie-insecte.versailles.inra.fr/pagePL.php
Co-supervisor: Dominique MARTINEZ (dominique.martinez@loria.fr - Tel:
+33 3 83 59 30 71)
http://www.neuronal-engineering.com/dmartine/

Summary :
One of the major goals of neuroscience is to elucidate the mechanisms
allowing the transformation of sensory information in appropriate motor
responses. Our project aims at better understanding how the insect
central nervous system encodes the olfactory information. Indeed, the
integration of the signal delivered by olfactory receptor neurons by the
neuronal network of the antennal lobe, the primary olfactory brain
centre, remains poorly understood. If the role of local neurons in the
transformation of response patterns between olfactory receptor neurons
and projection neurons (PNs) is well documented, the contribution of
intrinsic properties of PNs in this process has been largely neglected.
By a combination of electrophysiology, molecular biology and modelling,
we will analyse the electrophysiological properties of PNs and their
contribution to the transformation of the representation of the
olfactory stimulus on the model of the sex pheromone perception in male
moths. The electrophysiological properties of PNs will be analysed by in
situ patch-clamp, with a special focus on Ca2+-dependent conductances
(INRA, Versailles). Experimental data will allow developing a
biophysical model of PN (LORIA, Nancy). Finally, we will investigate
whether a K+ channel of the SK type that we recently cloned and which is
expressed in antennal lobes contributes to the olfactory coding. For
this purpose, single cell RT-PCR will be developed to localize this
channel within the antennal lobe and its role will be analyzed by an
RNAi approach (UPMC, Paris).

Selection :
The application files and selection procedure are available on the
website of the doctoral school "Brain, Cognition, Behaviour":
http://ed3c.snv.jussieu.fr/. English speaking students are welcome to
apply as the application file and the selection can be done in English.
Candidates are invited to contact Philippe LUCAS and/or Dominique
MARTINEZ rapidly as applications files must be sent no later than June 5
2013.



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