Molecular rules shaping synapse wiring in vision for better brain signaling
Official title: Molecular determinants of synaptic specificity underlying a visuomotor transformation
Funded at University of Colorado · NIH-11520448 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Scientists are studying how nerve cells wire together to translate what we see into actions, using fruit-fly brains to map how gene patterns control connections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boulder, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 15, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $249,000 |
| NIH project number | 4R00EY036123-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11520448 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patient recruitment in this grant as described (basic science in Drosophila).
✕Less likely to help
No direct patient participation or benefit is described in this grant.
What this research studies
This project looks at how precise connections between sensory and motor parts of the brain develop, focusing on gradients of gene expression within a single neuron type. By studying how these molecular gradients guide how many synapses form with downstream targets, researchers hope to reveal a quantitative rule for wiring in the brain. The work uses the fruit fly visual system as a model to uncover transcriptional and activity-dependent processes that establish graded connectivity. The findings could illuminate how similar wiring principles operate in other neural circuits and influence how visuomotor skills are learned. Overall, the study aims to translate basic discoveries about neuronal wiring into a framework that could inform understanding of vision and movement in humans.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Improved understanding of how the brain wires sensory and motor pathways could inform approaches to treat or compensate for visual or movement disorders in the future.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work in neural connectivity has shown that molecular gradients can influence synapse formation, supporting the plausibility of this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Colorado
Boulder, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dombrovskiy, Mark — University of Colorado
- Study coordinator: Dombrovskiy, Mark
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.