A huge shout-out to Friedrich Schuessler and Simone Ciceri, who completed everything you‘ll find in the manuscript in 4 months! Almost everything we tried worked out of the box, which also speaks to the robustness of the mechanism!
Check it out:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
With just four molecules, you get a grid cell attractor with functional 2D path integration.
With N molecules, you get exponentially many Hebbian assemblies with discrete attractor dynamics.
With smart biases between the molecules, you can get any dynamical system. Sequences, motor programs, …
We were surprised by the power and elegance of this mechanism. From an entirely unconnected population of neurons with statistically independent molecular expression profiles, you can grow a vast range of different functional networks. All you have to do is choose the right molecular statistics.
We borrowed the idea of chemoaffinity from developmental neuroscience — neurons connecting based on their molecular profiles — and ported it to recurrent neural networks.
Happy to announce our latest preprint with Friedrich Schuessler and Simone Ciceri: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
A good part of animal behaviour and cognition is innate. Have you ever wondered how the underlying neural circuits develop? We may have a suggestion.
And if you have a sabbatical lined up and wonder where to go: Apply! You won’t regret it!
If you want to know how to make people from other cultures feel welcome at your institution, check it out!
A huge shoutout to OIST for providing a support structure for guests, international researchers and their families (!) that is beyond anything I’ve ever seen!
Very sad to leave Okinawa after an amazing 3-month sabbatical in OIST’s TSVP program! What a beautiful, inspiring and welcoming place!
Don’t miss this opportunity! This summer school is likely to be one of the most amazing experiences you’ll ever get!
The countdown begins! Just 1 week left (July 1) to apply for Imbizo! Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to experience life in beautiful Cape Town, South Africa. Join us for an unforgettable adventure!
More info and apply: imbizo.africa/apply/
#Imbizo2026 #CompNeuro
