The neural circuits underlying social foraging

THE FRANCIS CRICK INSTITUTE LIMITED; Greater London; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 22,000; Full time

Job summary

The Francis Crick Institute invites applications for a sandwich placement in the lab of Michael Winding to study the neural circuits underlying social foraging in larval Drosophila.

The project combines connectomics analysis, neuron-specific inactivation, and behavioural experiments using Raspberry Pi-based recording devices to link brain wiring with social behaviour.

Qualifications

• Experience in neuroscience, animal behaviour, or insect ecology.
• Coding in Python will be an important part of the project.
• Good written and spoken communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Connectomics analysis and targeted neuron-specific inactivation.
• Behavioural experiments using Raspberry Pi-based recording devices.
• Link brain wiring to social behaviour and internal states in larval systems.

Skills

Python programming

Neuroscience concepts

Data analysis

Education

Undergraduate study in neuroscience or related field

Tools

Raspberry Pi

Job description

The neural circuits underlying social foraging

Key information

This sandwich placement will be based in the lab of Michael Winding.

Project summary

Foraging in groups can help animals locate and exploit food sources, but it also creates challenges. Individuals must decide when to follow others, when to forage alone, and how to use social information. These decisions also depend on resource availability and inter-animal competition. The neural circuits and computations underlying such behaviours and foraging decisions are poorly understood.

We have recently identified a new behaviour in fruit fly larvae, whereby larvae engage in head-to-head interactions that allow them to gather information about whether other larvae have recently encountered food. This provides a tractable system for asking how brains process social and food-related cues in foraging decisions. We previously generated the connectome of the larval brain [1], providing the full set of neural circuits that may underlie this behaviour. We have also linked many genetic tools to the connectome, which allow us to manipulate the activity of individual neurons/circuit elements to determine their role in behaviour [2].

For this project, we aim to determine which circuits control larval interactions, including potentially those processing social cues, conspecific recognition, and how these circuits interact with internal states such as hunger. This will involve connectomics analysis, targeted neuron-specific inactivation, and behavioural experiments using Raspberry Pi-based recording devices. This project offers the opportunity to link brain wiring, neural activity manipulation, and naturalistic social behaviour in a single experimentally tractable system.

Candidate background

The post holder should embody and demonstrate the Crick ethos and ways of working: bold, open and collegial. The candidate must be registered at a UK Higher Education Institution, studying in the UK and must have completed a minimum of two years’ undergraduate study in a relevant discipline, and on track to receive a final degree grade of 2:1 or 1. In addition, they should be able demonstrate the following experience and key competencies:

• This project would suit a student interested in neuroscience, animal behaviour, or insect ecology. The project involves behavioural experiments, analysis of neural circuits, and computational analysis of animal-tracking data. Coding in python will be an important part of the project, and support will be provided for a motivated student to develop these skills.
• Good knowledge in relevant scientific area(s)
• Good written and spoken communication skills
• Ability to work independently and also capable of interacting within a group

References:

1. Winding, M., Pedigo, B.D., Barnes, C.L., Patsolic, H.G., Park, Y., Kazimiers, T.,... Zlatic, M. (2023) The connectome of an insect brain. Science379: eadd9330. PubMed abstract
2. Meissner, G.W., Vannan, A., Jeter, J., Close, K., DePasquale, G.M., Dorman, Z.,...FlyLight Project, T. (2025) A split-GAL4 driver line resource for Drosophila neuron types. eLife13. PubMed abstract