Progress on functional connectivity measurement and modeling in C. elegans*

Advances in microscopy and optogenetics now permit "functional connectivity" experiments in which some neurons are optogenetically stimulated while the responses of other neurons in the network are simultaneously measured, ideally giving access to the strengths and the dynamical properties of the interactions between neurons. Currently, the nematode C. elegans is an ideal candidate in which to perform such experiments, because of its small nervous system, the known anatomical connectivity map between the neurons, and the graded nature of their activity. I will present progress on such measurements on the whole brain of the worm.
Additionally, how should a mathematical description of C. elegans' neural network be structured so as to be able to best incorporate such measurements of functional connectivity? I will introduce a framework for the description of the neural activity in C. elegans based on Green's functions, which can be directly related to the quantities measured in the above experiments.