The acridoid grasshoppers in general and the various species of swarm-forming locusts in particular have been among the most favoured subjects of insect physi ology, behaviour and ecology for many years. Several factors contribute to this popularity: their abundance in nature and their ease of culture in the laboratory, their relatively large size, and most of all, perhaps, their agricultural importance and the consequent intermittent availability of funds for their study. These factors together have inspired a large amount of experimental work, and this in tum has produced a new and often over-riding reason for working on acridoids -the huge body of available background information and know-how that has built up about these insects. This state of affairs is well seen in insect neurobiology. Only a restricted number of insect types are commonly used in this discipline, and originally most of them were selected for reasons of convenience and availability: grasshoppers, cock roaches, crickets, flies, bees and moths are the most important. Each of these in sects is the subject of the attentions of one or more major groups of neurobiolo gists, but neurobiological articles on acridoids probably exceed in number those on all other insects combined, at least if articles on the molecular biology of the nervous system of Drosophila are excluded.

The traveller to India is urged to visit that country's western shore with the Arabian Sea where, about 300 miles to the south of Bombay, an exceedingly lovely coast reaches the peak of its harmony at the erstwhile Portuguese enclave of Goa. The ambience of this alluring province is an exquisite balance of palm trees and rice fields, aged colonial homes -many still elegant and brightly painted -slowly being swallowed up by the exuberant tropical vegetation, incredible blossoms, colorful and courteous people and, deeper inland, some splendid examples of 17th and 18th century Portuguese ecclesiastical architecture. A feast for the eyes by day, and in the evening enough fresh fish and other good food to satisfy the most demanding gourmet. This was the paradisiacal setting for the first International Conference on the Neural Organization of Sensory Systems (ICONOSS for short), sponsored jointly by the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO), the Tata Institute for Fundamental Research at Bombay, the Department of Atomic Energy of the Government of India, and the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India. About 100 participants were pleasantly confined at Fort Aguada, a resort cunningly built amongst the ruins of an old Portuguese fort. The conference program achieved an international flavor, recruiting scientists from many nations: India (naturally), Australia, Britain, Canada, Germany, Finland, France, Hungary, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States of America. The subjects discussed were as diverse as the countries represented.

Neuromorphic systems are implementations in silicon of sensory and neural systems whose architecture and design are based on neurobiology. This growing area offers exciting possibilities, such as sensory systems that can compete with human senses and pattern recognition systems that can run in real time. It is at the intersection of neurophysiology, computer science and electrical engineering.This book brings together recent developments in Europe and the US, so that researchers in both academia and industry can find out about the state of the art. As well as elementary material on what neuromorphic systems are and why they are growing in importance, the book contains details of current work. There are articles on aspects of implementing sensory neuromorphic systems, and also on neuromorphic hardware.

It is generally accepted that all living organisms present on earth derive from one single primordial cell born several billion years ago. One important step in the evolution occurred some 1. 5 billion years ago with the transition from small procaryote cells with relatively simple internal structures such as bacteria to larger and more compleX: eucaryotic cells such as those found in higher animals and plants. Large membrane proteins which enable the cells to communicate appeared early in evolution, and it is believed that the nerve membrane receptors and ionic channels which are observed today in both invertebrate and vertebrate species derive from a common ancestor. Basically, the three identified superfamilies, 1) ionotropic receptors (i. e. receptors containing an integral ionic channel), 2) metabotropic receptors (receptors coupled to G proteins) and 3) voltage-dependent ionic channels (Na+, K + and Ca2+ channels) were already well differentiated when vertebrates separated from invertebrate species. The large number of subtypes which are observed in each superfamily may be of more recent evolutionary origin. To understand how this happened, the best approach was to compare the sequences and the properties of the receptors and ionic channels in species sufficiently distant in the evolutionary tree. In the present volume, many of the best specialists in the field of comparative molecular neurobiology, several of them working on vertebrate and invertebrate species, have accepted to report their most recent findings.

From speech to breathing to overt movement contractions of muscles are the only way other than sweating whereby we literally make a mark on the world. Locomotion is an essential part of this equation and exciting new developments are shedding light on the mechanisms underlying how this important behavior occurs. The Neural Control of Movement discusses these developments across a variety of species including man. The editors focus on highlighting the utility of different models from invertebrates to vertebrates. Each chapter discusses how new approaches in neuroscience are being used to dissect and control neural networks. An area of emphasis is on vertebrate motor networks and particularly the spinal cord. The spinal cord is unique because it has seen the use of genetic tools allowing the dissection of networks for over ten years. This book provides practical details on model systems, approaches, and analysis approaches related to movement control. This book is written for neuroscientists interested in movement control. - Provides practice details on model systems, approaches, and analysis approaches related to movement control - Discusses how recent advances like optogenetics and chemogenetics affect the need for model systems to be modified (or not) to work for studies of movement and motor control - Written for neuroscientists interested in movement control, especially movement disorders like Parkinson's, MS, spinal cord injury, and stroke

Invertebrates have proven to be extremely useful model systems for gaining insights into the neural and molecular mechanisms of sensory processing, motor control and higher functions such as feeding behavior, learning and memory, navigation, and social behavior. A major factor in their enormous contributions to neuroscience is the relative simplicity of invertebrate nervous systems. In addition, some invertebrates, primarily the molluscs, have large cells, which allow analyses to take place at the level of individually identified neurons. Individual neurons can be surgically removed and assayed for expression of membrane channels, levels of second messengers, protein phosphorylation, and RNA and protein synthesis. Moreover, peptides and nucleotides can be injected into individual neurons. Other invertebrate model systems such as Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans offer tremendous advantages for obtaining insights into the neuronal bases of behavior through the application of genetic approaches. The Oxford Handbook of Invertebrate Neurobiology reviews the many neurobiological principles that have emerged from invertebrate analyses, such as motor pattern generation, mechanisms of synaptic transmission, and learning and memory. It also covers general features of the neurobiology of invertebrate circadian rhythms, development, and regeneration and reproduction. Some neurobiological phenomena are species-specific and diverse, especially in the domain of the neuronal control of locomotion and camouflage. Thus, separate chapters are provided on the control of swimming in annelids, crustaea and molluscs, locomotion in hexapods, and camouflage in cephalopods. Unique features of the handbook include chapters that review social behavior and intentionality in invertebrates. A chapter is devoted to summarizing past contributions of invertebrates to the understanding of nervous systems and identifying areas for future studies that will continue to advance that understanding.