The Aim: The retina transforms images it receives into patterns of neuronal activity relevant for the brain. We want to understand how these transformations are achieved and what the functional consequences of these retinal processing steps are for visual perception.
The Questions: Since there are vastly more photoreceptors, the input neurons, than ganglion cells, the output neurons, the retina must filter and code the visual information it receives. What type of information is sent to the brain and what is filtered out? What types of pre-processing occur in the retina? Is this constant or does this change with environmental conditions? These are the questions that guide our research.
The Experimental Approach: For the experimental approach of our studies, we use goldfish and zebrafish. We have chosen to study the fish retina because, firstly, the early retinal processing strongly resembles that of the primate retina. Secondly, fish are highly visually oriented animals which can be used with ease in behavioral experiments. They are cone dominated and have excellent color vision. Finally, many genetic tools are available for zebrafish. In these studies physiological, behavioral, molecular, morphological and computational techniques are used.
The Theoretical Approach: For the theoretical approach, results from our own animal studies and available literature data from research involving salamander, turtle, rodents, primates and humans are combined by means of quantitative computer models. A major area of interest is the question how the visual system handles natural stimuli. This approach yields a fundamental understanding of the functioning of the vertebrate retina.