Brain cells called neurons can be regarded as the basic information processing units of the brain.  They receive inputs on highly branched cellular extensions called dendrites and send outputs of processed information through their axons.  Axons of one neuron are connected to dendrites of other neurons via synapses to form neural circuits.  The shape of a neuron’s axons and dendrites (its morphology) and the patterns of its synaptic connections to other neurons determine how it processes information.  Likewise, changes in the strength of the synaptic connections between neurons are believed to be the basis for information storage in the brain (i.e. learning and memory).  Neuronal morphology and synaptic connectivity therefore influence how large numbers of cells assemble into the neural circuits that give rise to the higher cognitive functions of the brain.

SLICK will allow researchers to investigate how genes determine various properties of neurons, such as how they acquire their distinctive shapes and how they make connections to other brain cells. 

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