Alexander Borst
Encyclopedia
Alexander Borst is a German
neurobiologist. He is director at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology
and head of the department Systems and Computational Neurobiology.
Alexander Borst studied biology at the University of Würzburg
, where he obtained his PhD as a member of Martin Heisenberg
's group. He worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics
in Tübingen
. Afterwards, he led an Independent Junior Research Group at the Friedrich-Miescher-Laboratory of the Max Planck Society
. He was professor the University of California, Berkeley
. In 2001, he was appointed director at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology.
Alexander Borst's work led to a number of scientific findings. Among these were the discoveries that
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
neurobiologist. He is director at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology
Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology
The Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology is a research institute of the Max Planck Society located in Martinsried, a suburb of Munich in Germany. Research centers on the basic mechanisms and functions of the developing and adult nervous system. Main focus areas include the mechanisms of...
and head of the department Systems and Computational Neurobiology.
Alexander Borst studied biology at the University of Würzburg
University of Würzburg
The University of Würzburg is a university in Würzburg, Germany, founded in 1402. The university is a member of the distinguished Coimbra Group.-Name:...
, where he obtained his PhD as a member of Martin Heisenberg
Martin Heisenberg
Martin Heisenberg is a German neurobiologist and geneticist. Before his retirement in 2008, he held the professorial chair for genetics and neurobiology at the Bio Centre of the University of Würzburg....
's group. He worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics
The Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics is located in Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of 80 institutes in the Max Planck Society ....
in Tübingen
Tübingen
Tübingen is a traditional university town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, on a ridge between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.-Geography:...
. Afterwards, he led an Independent Junior Research Group at the Friedrich-Miescher-Laboratory of the Max Planck Society
Max Planck Society
The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science is a formally independent non-governmental and non-profit association of German research institutes publicly funded by the federal and the 16 state governments of Germany....
. He was professor the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. In 2001, he was appointed director at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology.
Scientific focus
Alexander Borst's scientific research is focused on the foundations of information processing and neural circuits in the fly brain.Alexander Borst's work led to a number of scientific findings. Among these were the discoveries that
- a specific structure of the insect brain, the mushroom bodiesMushroom bodiesThe mushroom bodies or corpora pedunculata are a pair of structures in the brain of insects and other arthropods.-Structure:Mushroom bodies are usually described as neuropils, i.e. as dense networks of neuronal processes and glia...
, play an important role in the olfactory learning processes of flies. - voltage sensitive ion channelIon channelIon channels are pore-forming proteins that help establish and control the small voltage gradient across the plasma membrane of cells by allowing the flow of ions down their electrochemical gradient. They are present in the membranes that surround all biological cells...
s lead to a frequency-dependent amplification of synaptic signals in motion-sensitive neuronNeuronA neuron is an electrically excitable cell that processes and transmits information by electrical and chemical signaling. Chemical signaling occurs via synapses, specialized connections with other cells. Neurons connect to each other to form networks. Neurons are the core components of the nervous...
s. (Haag & Borst, Nature 1996) - the direction of visually perceived movement is calculated following the so-called Reichardt-Model. (Single & Borst, Science 1998)
- the fly brain splits up visual information into ON and OFF-channels, similar to bipolar cells in the retina of vertebrate eyes. (Jösch, Schnell, Raghu, Reiff & Borst, Nature 2010)