Filipe Pinto Teixeira Neural networks, instructions for use

Understanding how the brain builds

The human brain – and indeed any brain – is an astonishing network of billions of interconnected nerve cells, called neurons. Neurons form circuits that allow us to see, move, think, and feel. But how do neural circuits come together during development? How do neurons find the right partners, connect in precisely the right way, and maintain these connections throughout life? 

Filipe Pinto Teixeira’s research seeks to answer these questions by studying a simple brain – that of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Despite its small size, the fly’s brain is composed of well-organized circuits that develop and function in ways similar to those of more complex animals, making it a powerful system for uncovering fundamental principles of brain wiring.

Communication between neurons lies at the heart of circuits

Neurons communicate with each other at contact points called synapses: one neuron releases chemical messengers – called neurotransmitters – that are detected by specialized receptors on the partner neuron. For this communication to work properly, the transmitting neuron must produce the right neurotransmitter, and its partner must have the corresponding receptor. 

During brain development, billions of neurons must not only find the correct partners but also coordinate a series of cellular, molecular, and gene expression mechanisms to form precise circuits. This includes orchestrating how and where neurons reach each other, and synaptic proteins are made and delivered to the correct synapse – all in the right order and at the right time.

Watching neural circuits form in real time

Filipe Pinto Teixeira’s team focuses on T4 neurons, responsible for detecting motion in the fly’s visual system. These neurons receive inputs from different partners, each using distinct neurotransmitters, and connecting to specific regions within the same T4 cell – creating a finely tuned subcellular motion detection circuit. With support from Impulscience, his team seeks to reveal how these precise connections form. Using advanced live imaging microscopy, they will watch neurons in the developing fly brain as they first make contact, communicate, and build synapses in real time.

Their project aims to answer three key questions: : 

• How do different neurons coordinate to form specific synapses?
• Which molecules mediate these interactions and sustain synapses?
• How are synaptic proteins, including neurotransmitter receptors, produced and delivered to the right synapses in synchronization with circuit assembly?

Overall, this research project seeks to reveal the coordinated cellular, molecular, and genetic mechanisms that ensure neural circuits are correctly wired and maintained.