Emilie Macé
@mace-lab.bsky.social
Neuroscience & functional ultrasound imaging. Vision and brain states. Professor at University Medical Center Göttingen. https://brainwidenetworks.uni-goettingen.de/ Co-Spokesperson, EKFZ Center for Optogenetic Therapies. https://ekfz.uni-goettingen.de/en/
Reposted by Emilie Macé
(1/n) We are excited to share our new paper in Nature Communications, by Hagar Lavian (@hlavian.bsky.social) and team, revealing how the zebrafish brain integrates visual navigation signals! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Visual motion and landmark position align with heading direction in the zebrafish interpeduncular nucleus - Nature Communications
How are various visual signals integrated in the vertebrate brain for navigation? Here authors show that different spatial signals are topographically organized and align to one another in the zebrafi...
www.nature.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:17 PM
(1/n) We are excited to share our new paper in Nature Communications, by Hagar Lavian (@hlavian.bsky.social) and team, revealing how the zebrafish brain integrates visual navigation signals! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Emilie Macé
How does the brain balance learning new things without overwriting what it already knows? Our new paper tackles this long-standing stability–plasticity dilemma during active navigation. With Tony Drinnenberg from the Deisseroth Lab (@deisseroth.bsky.social)
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Environmental Novelty Modulates Rapid Cortical Plasticity During Navigation
In novel environments, animals quickly learn to navigate, and position-correlated spatial representations rapidly emerge in both the retrosplenial cortex (RSC) and primary visual cortex (V1). However,...
doi.org
October 24, 2025 at 3:40 AM
How does the brain balance learning new things without overwriting what it already knows? Our new paper tackles this long-standing stability–plasticity dilemma during active navigation. With Tony Drinnenberg from the Deisseroth Lab (@deisseroth.bsky.social)
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Reposted by Emilie Macé
Gene editing of single, targeted neurons in vivo is now feasible. We are proud to present our preprint for highly efficient single-cell electroporation using RNA. With @alex-fratzl.bsky.social, @munzlab.bsky.social, Botond Roska @iobswiss.bsky.social
#neuroskyence
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
#neuroskyence
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
In vivo single-cell gene editing using RNA electroporation reveals sequential adaptation of cortical neurons to excitatory-inhibitory imbalance
The balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission is fundamental for normal brain function, yet the adaptation of individual neurons to disrupted excitatory-inhibitory balance is not wel...
www.biorxiv.org
September 15, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Gene editing of single, targeted neurons in vivo is now feasible. We are proud to present our preprint for highly efficient single-cell electroporation using RNA. With @alex-fratzl.bsky.social, @munzlab.bsky.social, Botond Roska @iobswiss.bsky.social
#neuroskyence
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
#neuroskyence
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Thanks Henry for your hard work!! It was fun indeed :)
September 13, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Thanks Henry for your hard work!! It was fun indeed :)
We currently have open positions for PhD and Postdocs! Interested in learning fUS: please apply!
brainwidenetworks.uni-goettingen.de/open-positio...
brainwidenetworks.uni-goettingen.de/open-positio...
September 11, 2025 at 8:14 PM
We currently have open positions for PhD and Postdocs! Interested in learning fUS: please apply!
brainwidenetworks.uni-goettingen.de/open-positio...
brainwidenetworks.uni-goettingen.de/open-positio...
Big thanks to our institutions and funding sources for the support—and to everyone on the team for making this discovery possible! 🙏✨ @mbexc.bsky.social @mpiforbi.bsky.social @mcgill.ca @dfg.de
September 11, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Big thanks to our institutions and funding sources for the support—and to everyone on the team for making this discovery possible! 🙏✨ @mbexc.bsky.social @mpiforbi.bsky.social @mcgill.ca @dfg.de
In summary, visual objects refine population-level head-direction coding in postsubiculum, potentially helping the brain’s internal compass anchor to external cues. Whether this extends to other types of spatially tuned neurons remains an exciting open question!
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Illustration: Dorothea Laurence
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Illustration: Dorothea Laurence
September 11, 2025 at 8:14 PM
In summary, visual objects refine population-level head-direction coding in postsubiculum, potentially helping the brain’s internal compass anchor to external cues. Whether this extends to other types of spatially tuned neurons remains an exciting open question!
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Illustration: Dorothea Laurence
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Illustration: Dorothea Laurence
To test if this effect was specific to objects, we presented two landmarks to the mouse: an object picture or a scrambled version. The boost occurred only with the object!
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September 11, 2025 at 8:14 PM
To test if this effect was specific to objects, we presented two landmarks to the mouse: an object picture or a scrambled version. The boost occurred only with the object!
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7/
At the population level, head-direction cells form a ring attractor. Cells aligned with an object’s direction were boosted, while others were inhibited—showing that objects refine the brain’s internal compass.⚡🧭 A model confirmed the effect when adding an untuned input to the attractor network.
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September 11, 2025 at 8:14 PM
At the population level, head-direction cells form a ring attractor. Cells aligned with an object’s direction were boosted, while others were inhibited—showing that objects refine the brain’s internal compass.⚡🧭 A model confirmed the effect when adding an untuned input to the attractor network.
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We then asked: How are visual signals integrated with spatial ones? We teamed up with @apeyrache.bsky.social. Mice were recorded in PoSub while exploring an arena with a landmark, then head-fixed for visual stimulation. Both head-direction cells and fast-spiking interneurons preferred objects!
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September 11, 2025 at 8:14 PM
We then asked: How are visual signals integrated with spatial ones? We teamed up with @apeyrache.bsky.social. Mice were recorded in PoSub while exploring an arena with a landmark, then head-fixed for visual stimulation. Both head-direction cells and fast-spiking interneurons preferred objects!
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To our surprise, spatial navigation areas—not visual cortex—responded strongest to objects! We replicated this in awake and anesthetized mice and confirmed it with electrophysiology. Postsubiculum (PoSub), a hub of the head-direction system, was the top hit! 🎯
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September 11, 2025 at 8:14 PM
To our surprise, spatial navigation areas—not visual cortex—responded strongest to objects! We replicated this in awake and anesthetized mice and confirmed it with electrophysiology. Postsubiculum (PoSub), a hub of the head-direction system, was the top hit! 🎯
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This project began with a paradox: Mice can see objects, yet no dedicated object areas like those in primates had been found. Inspired by early human fMRI studies, we used an unbiased functional ultrasound (fUS) screen to look beyond the visual cortex.
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September 11, 2025 at 8:14 PM
This project began with a paradox: Mice can see objects, yet no dedicated object areas like those in primates had been found. Inspired by early human fMRI studies, we used an unbiased functional ultrasound (fUS) screen to look beyond the visual cortex.
3/
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This was a true team effort, led by the brilliant Domique Siegenthaler, in collaboration with Stuart Trenholm and @apeyrache.bsky.social ! 🙌
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September 11, 2025 at 8:14 PM
This was a true team effort, led by the brilliant Domique Siegenthaler, in collaboration with Stuart Trenholm and @apeyrache.bsky.social ! 🙌
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Thrilled to share that our work is now published in Science! ✨
We found a preference for visual objects in the mouse spatial navigation system where they dynamically refine head-direction coding. In short, objects boost our inner compass! 🧭
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧵1/
We found a preference for visual objects in the mouse spatial navigation system where they dynamically refine head-direction coding. In short, objects boost our inner compass! 🧭
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧵1/
September 11, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Thrilled to share that our work is now published in Science! ✨
We found a preference for visual objects in the mouse spatial navigation system where they dynamically refine head-direction coding. In short, objects boost our inner compass! 🧭
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧵1/
We found a preference for visual objects in the mouse spatial navigation system where they dynamically refine head-direction coding. In short, objects boost our inner compass! 🧭
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧵1/
To test if this effect was specific to objects, we presented two landmarks to the mouse: an object picture or a scrambled version. The boost occurred only with the object!
7/
7/
September 11, 2025 at 7:30 PM
To test if this effect was specific to objects, we presented two landmarks to the mouse: an object picture or a scrambled version. The boost occurred only with the object!
7/
7/
At the population level, head-direction cells form a ring attractor. Cells aligned with an object’s direction were boosted, while others were inhibited—showing that objects refine the brain’s internal compass.⚡🧭 A model confirmed the effect when adding an untuned input to the attractor network.
6/
6/
September 11, 2025 at 7:30 PM
At the population level, head-direction cells form a ring attractor. Cells aligned with an object’s direction were boosted, while others were inhibited—showing that objects refine the brain’s internal compass.⚡🧭 A model confirmed the effect when adding an untuned input to the attractor network.
6/
6/
We then asked: How are visual signals integrated with spatial ones? We teamed up with @apeyrache.bsky.social. Mice were recorded in PoSub while exploring an arena with a landmark, then head-fixed for visual stimulation. Both head-direction cells and fast-spiking interneurons preferred objects!
5/
5/
September 11, 2025 at 7:30 PM
We then asked: How are visual signals integrated with spatial ones? We teamed up with @apeyrache.bsky.social. Mice were recorded in PoSub while exploring an arena with a landmark, then head-fixed for visual stimulation. Both head-direction cells and fast-spiking interneurons preferred objects!
5/
5/
To our surprise, spatial navigation areas—not visual cortex—responded strongest to objects! We replicated this in awake and anesthetized mice and confirmed it with electrophysiology. Postsubiculum (PoSub), a hub of the head-direction system, was the top hit! 🎯
4/
4/
September 11, 2025 at 7:30 PM
To our surprise, spatial navigation areas—not visual cortex—responded strongest to objects! We replicated this in awake and anesthetized mice and confirmed it with electrophysiology. Postsubiculum (PoSub), a hub of the head-direction system, was the top hit! 🎯
4/
4/
This project began with a paradox: Mice can see objects, yet no dedicated object areas like those in primates had been found. Inspired by early human fMRI studies, we used an unbiased functional ultrasound (fUS) screen to look beyond the visual cortex.
3/
3/
September 11, 2025 at 7:30 PM
This project began with a paradox: Mice can see objects, yet no dedicated object areas like those in primates had been found. Inspired by early human fMRI studies, we used an unbiased functional ultrasound (fUS) screen to look beyond the visual cortex.
3/
3/
This was a true team effort, led by the brilliant Domique Siegenthaler, in collaboration with Stuart Trenholm and @apeyrache.bsky.social ! 🙌
2/
2/
September 11, 2025 at 7:30 PM
This was a true team effort, led by the brilliant Domique Siegenthaler, in collaboration with Stuart Trenholm and @apeyrache.bsky.social ! 🙌
2/
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