Prof. Alexander Borst

• Theory and modeling of motion vision
• Information processing in the invertebrate visual system
• Studies on mechanisms of motion detection
• Computer modelling of the visual system in flies
• Computations in fly motion vision-algorithms and neural circuits

Our group is interested in how the nervous system computes motion information from the changing retinal images and how this information is

encoded in the electrical signals of motion sensitive neurons. The work combines experimental and theoretical analysis

(in vivo, in vitro and in silico) at various levels of complexity ranging from the membrane properties and pharmacology of individual

neurons up to simple motion driven reflexes observed in behavior.

Our experimental animals are the blowfly Calliphora vicina and the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster: While the first species allows for intracellular recording

and dye injection into individual neurons, the latter provides a wealth of genetic techniques including tissue specific expression of genetically encoded

indicators and blockers of nervous activity.

• Motion Vision - neural mechanisms and technical applications - A. Borst, K. Kühnlenz and M. Buss