Welcome to the 2018 Maggot Meeting

Drosophila larvae are genetically tractable insect model system, with around 10,000 uniquely identifiable neurons. They thus enable unprecendented ability to probe the functional principles of neural circuits for the control of locomotion, sensory processing, exploration, behavioural choice and learning.

The maggot meeting was established in 2004 and this will be the 8th. It will explore important recent advances which include: rapid progress towards a complete connectome based on electron microscopy; genetic toolkits to support manipulation of and recording from single identified neurons; and sophisticated analysis methods to characterise the behaviour and link it to neural circuits. Computational and robot models that draw this information together will also be a focus of the meeting. Invited talks will include speakers from outside the maggot community to encourage a comparative approach to common topics.

Organisers

  • Douglas Armstrong (University of Edinburgh)
  • Bertram Gerber (Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology)
  • Akinao Nose (University of Tokyo)
  • Ellie Heckscher (University of Chicago)
  • Stefan Pulver (University of St Andrews)
  • Barbara Webb (University of Edinburgh)

Confirmed speakers

  • Catherina Becker (University of Edinburgh) - "Motor system development in zebrafish"
  • Chris Doe (University of Oregon) - "Larval development"
  • Claire Eschbach (Janelia Research Campus) - "Learning circuits in larvae"
  • Lucia Prieto-Godino (Crick Institute) - "Evolution of olfactory circuits in Drosophilids"
  • Barry Trimmer (Tufts University) - "Soft bodies: from caterpillars to robots"
  • Philip Tovote (University of Würzberg) - "Defense reaction circuits in the mammalian brain"