How does evolution turn a harmless bacterial feeder into an active predator? Our new study led by @marianneroca.bsky.social and published in @pnas.org explores how sensory systems were rewired to enable prey detection and predatory behaviour in nematodes. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... 🧵below!

Evolution of sensory systems underlies the emergence of predatory feeding behaviors in nematodes | PNAS

Understanding how animal behavior evolves remains a major challenge, with few studies linking genetic changes to differences in neural function and...

pnas.org

Congratulations to @marianneroca.bsky.social on this great paper 🎉 The study shows how P.pacificus detects prey by integrating mechanical&chemical cues in the same sensory neurons, revealing how evolution rewired systems originally used for avoidance to enable hunting. mpinb.mpg.de/en/press/pre...

Marianne Roca@marianneroca.bsky.social · 6mo ago

How does a predator sense its prey? 🪱The nematode Pristionchus pacificus preys on other nematodes, but how it detects them in its environment? That is what we have been exploring : www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Neurobiologie zum Anfassen 🧠 Austausch, Experimente & Karrierewege beim Besuch von #juFORUM Neurowissenschaften bei uns am Institut. Mehr davon bitte! :-D

Great thread by @jameslightfoot.bsky.social breaking down the key ideas behind our new Nature paper step by step. Highly recommended if you want the full story behind how predatory behavior evolved in these worms.

James Lightfoot@jameslightfoot.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Why do some worms graze on bacteria while others hunt and kill? Our study, published today in Nature, reveals how predatory aggression evolved in nematodes. Led by @gunizgozeeren.bsky.social and @leoboeger.bsky.social across the @jameslightfoot.bsky.social and @monikakscholz.bsky.social labs.

How do new behaviors evolve? A new Nature study shows how predatory aggression can emerge through changes in neuromodulatory circuits – without adding new neurons. We’ve created a short animated explainer video to walk through the key ideas. youtu.be/wNhjKDCPs_8?...

How new behaviors evolve: from peaceful worm to predator

YouTube video by MPINB

youtu.be

Our latest paper is out in Nature 🥳 We investigated the underlying neuromodulatory regulation of aggressive behavior in the nematode Pristionchus pacificus 🪱🧠🔬 And we show that novel behaviors can evolve through changes of single neuron function by switches in neuromodulator-receptor expression. 👇

Predatory aggression evolved through adaptations to noradrenergic circuits - Nature

Noradrenergic circuits support and balance aggressive behavioural states in predatory nematodes, distinguish predatory from non-predatory nematode species and are associated with the evolution of comp...

nature.com

Why do some worms graze on bacteria while others hunt and kill? Our study, published today in Nature, reveals how predatory aggression evolved in nematodes. Led by @gunizgozeeren.bsky.social and @leoboeger.bsky.social across the @jameslightfoot.bsky.social and @monikakscholz.bsky.social labs.

Predatory aggression evolved through adaptations to noradrenergic circuits - Nature

Noradrenergic circuits support and balance aggressive behavioural states in predatory nematodes, distinguish predatory from non-predatory nematode species and are associated with the evolution of comp...

nature.com

Registration open: eveeno.com/applicationb... Under the theme “From Genes to Circuits and Behavior”, top neuroscientists - incl. Cori Bargmann, @edvardmoser.bsky.social, Rosa Paolicelli, Maude Baldwin & Zachary Knight - will meet at to explore how neural circuits drive behavior.

💡 Join the 8th Bonn Brain Conference March 23–25, 2026 | DZNE Bonn, Germany Explore the latest in brain states, neural circuits, and behavior — with keynote talks by leading neuroscientists including Cori Bargmann and Edvard Moser @edvardmoser.bsky.social

It is a true pleasure to take part at this year’s Konstanz school on collective behavior and talk about our theoretical framework of computing with transients. @mpinb.mpg.de

Exciting news! @kerrlab.bsky.social is part of a new #MaxPlanckCenter with @mpi-mr.bsky.social and the Institute for Basic Science at Yonsei University in Seoul. We aim to visualize and influence cellular processes deep in human tissue — in a targeted way, without causing damage. Stay tuned ! 🌟

Max Planck Institute for Medical Research@mpi-mr.bsky.social · last yr.

📣Curtains up for a new #MaxPlanckCenter @maxplanck.de in which our institute is involved, with the @mpinb.mpg.de and the Institute for Basic Science at Yonsei University, Seoul! 🤩 Focus is on ‘Deep Tissue Nanoscale Control’. Excited about this fantastic partnership! 🚀 www.mr.mpg.de/14654184/new...

Excited to be part of “Unifying theories in high-dimensional biophyics” symposium @ICTS in Bangalore. Looking forward to learn about novel theoretical descriptions from molecular to behavior of ecologies! @mpinb.mpg.de

🚀 Big news from our @monikakscholz.bsky.social lab! We’re part of DynOrg, a new @dfg.de-funded Research Unit exploring how #GPCR signaling coordinates organ function & animal behavior — from heartbeat to foraging. 🧠💓 #FOR #neurotransmitters

Despite the trillions of synapses in the brain, there is sparse connectivity between neurons. This may be a feature, not a flaw, per new research at @mpinb.mpg.de‬. A study finds that “sparse connectivity” of neurons may contribute to more efficient info-processing in the brain: bit.ly/4kO1TMY

We had a privilege to have Chittaranjan Hens from the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, India, visiting for a day and telling us about the origins of instability in dynamical systems on undirected networks! @mpinb.mpg.de

Paper alert! Check out the new publication by our Cellular Computations and Learning Lab! 👉 journals.aps.org/pre/abstract...

@koseskalab.bsky.social · last yr.

Our new paper is out! 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 #criticality #ghostcycles @mpinb.mpg.de

In our evening`s session, Monika Scholz from the @mpinb.mpg.de talks about her research on the foraging behavior of a predatory nematode Pristionchus pacificus and compares the underlying neuronal mechanisms with the ones of C. elegans. @monikakscholz.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Predatory aggression evolved through adaptations to noradrenergic circuits

Behaviors are adaptive traits evolving through natural selection. Crucially, the genetic, molecular, and neural modifications that shape behavioral innovations are poorly understood. Here, we identify...

biorxiv.org

We are at #DDays2025 ! Join us at our 3!! talks on multistability and metastability, today, on Thursday and Friday! @mpinb.mpg.de

🚀 New Neurovoyagers episode just dropped! It's been such a great time chatting with ‪@monikakscholz.bsky.social about worms, neural bottlenecks, open science, and the joy of building stuff that works 🧠🔧 🎧 open.spotify.com/episode/1r2a...

Brains in Miniature: Evolution, Foraging, and Open Science with Monika Scholz

Neurovoyagers: Exploring the Minds Behind Neuroscience · Episode

open.spotify.com

Cells use more than signal strength to decide their fate—they "listen" to the tempo of signaling. Check out this work by our Cellular Computations and Learning Lab introducing signaling homeorhesis, a concept where dynamic signal patterns guide cell decisions. #CellSignaling #cellfate

@koseskalab.bsky.social · last yr.

👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 Pre-print alert 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 We developed the concept of signaling homeorhesis to describe regulation of cell phenotype under dynamic signals, demonstrating that cells actively interpret signals from their environment to determine cell fate! @mpinb.mpg.de www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

(1/3) Paper alert! 🧠 What does it take a 🐀 to move a single whisker? More than we expected! Research from our In Silico Brain Sciences Lab and University of Pittsburgh (Pitt Med) shows: ✅ a diverse set of brain areas is involved ✅ movements even originate from areas linked to sensing and cognition.

New #iBOTS Workshop "Intro Neural Spike Analysis in Python" 📅June 11-13 Dr. Ole Bialas Open to All @unibonn.bsky.social @uniklinikkoeln.bsky.social @unicologne.bsky.social @mpinb.mpg.de @fz-juelich.de Learn how to process & analyze neural spiking data! Register: uni-bonn.zoom-x.de/meeting/regi...

🧠💤 Glia Regulate Sleep Through Brain Metabolism! A new study in Drosophila shows that glial cells monitor brain CO₂ and pH levels to regulate rest and sleep – revealing a key link between metabolism and sleep need. Activating glia can even induce rest in flies. 🪰🛌 (1/2) @natneuro.nature.com

It is a true honor and privilege to host Vijay Balasubramanian @upenn.edu , a distinguished scholar and a profound intellectual, at our Neuroscience seminar series today. We are enjoying a day of thought-provoking conversations that inspire! @mpinb.mpg.de

🧠 Interested in a postdoc in neuroscience? Our Department of Computational Neuroethology is hiring for two exciting projects: 🔬 Retinal circuitry evolution 🐟 Mechanistic cognition in Danionella cerebrum mpinb.mpg.de/en/research-... 📅 Apply by May 13 via the Max Planck #PostdocProgram #Neuroethology

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft@maxplanck.de · last yr.

🚀 Apply now 🚀 The new Max Planck #Postdoc Program offers a guaranteed contract of at least 3 years, targeted mentoring, and career workshops. postdocprogram.mpg.de #ScienceCareer #PostdocProgram

We had a great time at #PostdocDay2025! Lots of inspiring chats at our booth and a full room during our talk on the role of networking, given by @anjaguenther.bsky.social 🎤🙌. Big thanks to @unibonn.bsky.social & @bora-network.bsky.social. Looking forward to next time! #ResearchCareers #Networking

👩‍🔧👩‍🔬 From biology to engineering, toolmaking & lab tech – we opened our labs for #GirlsDay on April 3! Huge thanks to our curious participants and to our helpers for sparking excitement in STEM! 💡🔬✨ Here’s to the next generation of female scientists! 💡🔬✨ #WomenInSTEM #GirlsInScience #FutureScientists

🧠 Our group leader Aneta Koseska@koseskalab.bsky.social is giving an invited talk today at the Spatiotemporal Dynamics in Neural Networks symposium at the Fields Institute, Toronto 🇨🇦. Enjoy! 🔍 Curious to learn more about the Koseska Lab and our research? Dive in here 👉 mpinb.mpg.de/en/research-...

@koseskalab.bsky.social · last yr.

Two days filled with exciting discussions and talks on spatial-temporal dynamics in neural networks! @mpinb.mpg.de

Hey Göttingen Meeting attendees! Don’t miss the inspiring talks from our group leaders and faculty members of our IMPRS for Brain and Behavior graduate program. Enjoy! 🧠✨

IMPRS for Brain and Behavior@imprsbb.bsky.social · last yr.

Join us at the German Neuroscience Society Meeting in Göttingen! Our IMPRS faculty members are presenting their research at various symposia from March 26–29.

🚀 Paper Alert! 🚀 More connections = better learning? Not so fast! 🤯 Our latest research from the In Silico Brain Sciences Lab challenges this assumption: What if the brain’s sparse connectivity is actually an optimization? 🧠✨ (1/3)