Novel artificial neurons learn independently and are more strongly modeled on their biological counterparts. A research team in Göttingen has programmed these infomorphic neurons and constructed artificial neural networks from them. The special feature is that the individual artificial neurons learn in a self-organized way and draw the necessary information from their immediate environment in the network. The results were published in PNAS.

How does the brain retain a sequence of events in memory? Researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), the University of Bonn, the University Hospital Tübingen and the University of Tübingen investigated this question. Using a unique measurement technique with implanted electrodes in the human brain, they were able to test a widely accepted theory of memory processes for the first time. The response pattern of the nerve cells did not align with the theory, but could be explained by a new model. The results have now been published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

We are currently accepting nominations for this year's Valentin Braitenberg Award for Computational Neuroscience. The deadline for nominations is April 30, 2025.

The locus coeruleus and the ventral tegmental area vie for influence over the formation of memory content. This has been demonstrated by a team of neuroscientists using light-gated nerve cells.

Researchers find more synapses and postsynaptic partners in the brain of Drosophila melanogaster correlating to lower environmental temperature during pupal development.

Binary neutron star mergers emit gravitational waves followed by light. To fully exploit these observations and avoid missing key signals, speed is crucial. In a study to be published in Nature on March 5, 2025, an interdisciplinary team of researchers presents a novel machine learning method that can analyze gravitational waves emitted by neutron star collisions almost instantaneously – even before the merger is fully observed. A neural network processes the data and enables a fast search for visible light and other electromagnetic signals emitted during the collisions. This new method could be instrumental in preparing the field for the next generation of observatories.

Creative thinking uses specific patterns to store information

The "Signatures of criticality in efficient coding networks" study provides new insights into the fundamental mechanisms of brain function. An international research team from Dresden, Tübingen, Paris and Shanghai developed a mathematical model to simulate a neural network that mimics the functioning of real brain cells. Unlike in previous studies, the network was not tuned directly towards a critical state, but optimized to process information as efficiently as possible – similar to our brain in everyday life.

Bonn researchers clarify how energy regulates the spatial arrangement and quantity of molecules in nerve cells

Nerve cells have amazing strategies to save energy and still perform the most important of their tasks. Researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn as well as the University Medical Center Göttingen found that the neuronal energy conservation program determines the location and number of messenger RNA (mRNA) and proteins, and differs depending on the length, longevity and other properties of the respective molecule. The work has now been published in the journal "Nature Communications".

Mathematical model shows how the brain processes sensory stimuli