What has always fascinated me is the complexity of the brain, especially its ability to process external information.It is always amazing to me that continuous stimuli that are translated into neuronal signals enable us to perceive the world, such as for example this text.

Together in our laboratory, we use the model organism of the weakly electric fish to investigate the perception of natural stimuli. Due to their self-generated electric field, these fish have the special ability to perceive their environment and interact with conspecifics.To get a better idea of this “sixth” sense, it can be compared to echolocation in bats or if we were to perceive the world with the help of a single note on the piano.

In my dissertation project, which is funded by the SPP2205 “Evolutionary optimization of neuronal processing” (link to the project: https://www.uni-goettingen.de/de/683260.html),we are investigating the ON/Off signaling pathway. This frequently occurring pathway is an effective perceptual process that helps to detect small differences in the stimuli. This investigation is carried out by simulating neurons and conducting electrophysiological experiments with so-called “silicon probes”. I introduced the use of silicon probes to the working group from Jun.-Prof. Dr. Lena Veit in my Master's thesis, in which I worked with Bengalese finches. 

I am pleased to be able to continue this methodology. 

These “silicon probes” generate huge data sets that we process using various software solutions. For me, open source software is an essential factor in analyzing these data sets, because with open source software we achieve the transparency and comparability that we need in science.