Comparative Connectomics: Whole animal dense neural circuit reconstruction

There is currently only a single animal for which the synaptic connections of the entire nervous system have been mapped: the nematode and model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. We are constructing such a “connectome” for Pristionchus pacificus in order to be able to ask questions about the evolution of behavior and the nervous system at an unprecedented level of understanding. Maps of cell bodies and wiring diagrams for neural circuits will lead to experimental work on how neural circuit function changes as a result of specific adaptive modifications in behavior. Our methods revolve primarily on serial section transmission electron microscopy and computer assisted volume segmentation. We are beginning to employ pharmacology, laser microsurgery and automated behavioral analysis in order to start probing our map of neural circuit connectivity as it is generated.