Biology subjects

Cano-Ferrer, X.

Publications and source records attributed to Cano-Ferrer, X..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Natural statistics of host odours predict species-specific olfactory behaviours in Drosophilids

Animals rely on olfaction to locate food, mates, and suitable habitats, yet natural odour environments contain thousands of volatile molecules, creating a high-dimensional sensory problem for both nervous systems and the researchers who study them 1-5. For example, a banana emits around 100 individual volatiles4,6. It remains unclear which components of complex odour blends animals have evolved to use as behavioural cues. Here, combining fieldwork, chemical and behavioural analyses, we show across multiple Drosophila species that behaviourally relevant cues can be predicted directly from the statistical structure of natural odour environments. Animals preferentially respond to components that are most distinctive within their natural host odour blends, and therefore most ecologically informative. These cues can be either major or minor blend components. Our results indicate that host-guided olfactory behaviours have evolved to exploit the statistical structure of natural odour environments by selectively targeting the most informative features of odour blends.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Functional specialisation of multisensory temporal integration in the mouse superior colliculus

Our perception of the world depends on the brains ability to integrate information from multiple senses, with temporal disparities providing a critical cue for binding or segregating cross-modal signals1,2. The superior colliculus (SC) is a key site for integrating sensory modalities, but how cellular and network mechanisms in distinct anatomical regions within the SC contribute to multisensory integration remains poorly understood. Here, we recorded responses from over 5,000 neurons across the SCs anatomical axes of awake mice during presentations of spatially coincident audiovisual stimuli with varying temporal asynchronies. Our findings revealed that multisensory neurons reliably encoded audiovisual delays and exhibited nonlinear summation of auditory and visual inputs, with nonlinearities being more pronounced when visual stimuli preceded auditory stimuli, consistent with the natural statistics of light and sound propagation. Nonlinear summation was crucial for population-level decoding accuracy and precision of AV delay representation. Moreover, enhanced population decoding of audiovisual delays in the posterior-medial SC, facilitated temporal discriminability in the peripheral visual field. Cross-correlation analysis indicated higher connectivity in the medial SC and functional specific recurrent connectivity, with visual, auditory, and multisensory neurons preferentially connecting to other neurons of the same functional subclass, and multisensory neurons receiving approximately 50 percent of the total local input from other multisensory neurons. Our results highlight the interplay between single-neuron computations, network connectivity, and population coding in the SC, where nonlinear integration, distributed representations and regional functional specialisations enables robust sensory binding and supports the accurate encoding of temporal multisensory information. Our study provides new insights into how the brain leverages both single-neuron and network-level mechanisms to represent sensory features by adapting to the statistics of the natural world.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

RPM: an open-source rotation platform for open- and closed-loop vestibular stimulation in head-fixed mice

Head fixation allows the recording and presentation of controlled stimuli and is used to study neural processes underlying spatial navigation. However, it disrupts the head direction system because of the lack of vestibular stimulation. To overcome this limitation, we developed a novel rotation platform which can be driven by the experimenter (open-loop) or by animal movement (closed-loop). The platform is modular, affordable, easy to build and open source. Additional modules presented here include cameras for monitoring eye movements, visual virtual reality and a micro-manipulator for positioning various probes for recording or optical interference. We demonstrate the utility of the platform by recording eye movements and showing the robust activation of head-direction cells. This novel experimental apparatus combines the advantages of head fixation and intact vestibular activity in the horizontal plane. The open-loop mode can be used to study e.g. vestibular sensory representation and processing, while the closed-loop mode allows animals to navigate in rotational space, providing a better substrate for 2-D navigation in virtual environments. Documentation is available at (https://ranczlab.github.io/RPM/).

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2022

OptoPi: An open source flexible platform for the analysis of small animal behaviour

Behaviour is the ultimate output of neural circuit computations, and therefore its analysis is a cornerstone of neuroscience research. However, every animal and experimental paradigm requires different illumination conditions to capture and, in some cases, manipulate specific behavioural features. This means that researchers often develop, from scratch, their own solutions and experimental set-ups. Here, we present OptoPi, an open source, affordable ([~] {pound}600), behavioural arena with accompanying multi-animal tracking software. The system features highly customisable and reproducible visible and infrared illumination and allows for temporally precise optogenetic stimulation. OptoPi acquires images using a Raspberry Pi camera, features motorised LED-based illumination, Arduino control, as well as spectrum and irradiance monitoring to fine-tune illumination conditions with real time feedback. Our open-source software (BIO) can be used to simultaneously track multiple animals while accurately keeping individual animals identity both in on-line and off-line modes. We demonstrate the functionality of OptoPi by recording and tracking under different illumination conditions the spontaneous behaviour of larval zebrafish as well as adult Drosophila flies and their first instar larvae, an experimental animal that due to its small size and transparency has classically been hard to track. Further, we showcase OptoPis optogenetic capabilities through a series of experiments using transgenic Drosophila larvae.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2022

A low-cost device for cryoanesthesia of neonate rodents

Studying the development of neural circuits in rodent models requires surgical access to the neonatal brain. Since commercially available stereotaxic and anesthetic equipment is designed for use in adults, reliable targeting of brain structures in such young animals can be challenging. Hypothermic cooling (cryoanesthesia) has been used as a preferred anesthesia approach in neonates. This commonly involves submerging neonates in ice, an approach that is poorly controllable. We have developed an affordable, simple to construct device - CryoPup - that allows for fast and robust cryoanesthesia of rodent pups. CryoPup consists of a microcontroller controlling a Peltier element and a heat exchanger. It is capable of both cooling and heating, thereby also functioning as a heating pad during recovery. Importantly, it has been designed for size compatibility with common stereotaxic frames. We validate CryoPup in neonatal mice, demonstrating that it allows for rapid, reliable and safe cryoanesthesia and subsequent recovery. This open-source device will facilitate future studies into the development of neural circuits in the postnatal brain. Specifications table O_TBL View this table: org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@de1fdorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@16fde69org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@172f48corg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@15454forg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@79676e_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_TBL C_TBL

neuroscience↗