진학프로석·박사 채용 접수 플랫폼

Post-doc position available in the Institute of Physical Chemistry PAS within National Science Center (NSC) MAESTRO 16. Project no 2024/54/A/ST7/00379 entitled ,,Optical measurements of retinal neuronal responses”.

Leader Prof. dr hab. Maciej Wojtkowski

Humans are one of the most advanced and complex biological systems on Earth. We have computational capabilities that are designed to

process millions of tasks in parallel, allowing the entire body to function under extremely variable

conditions. Our organ of vision - the eye - has evolved millions of years into one of the most advanced systems for imaging and analysing visual data. The eye also houses the most easily

accessible part of the brain's neuronal network - the human retina - an organ readily accessible to

relatively compact and non-invasive optical methods. Our organ of vision has well-defined inputs

in the form of an array of millions of photoreceptors and outputs in the form of nerve fibres

connecting the eye to the brain. Each nerve fibre is connected to retinal ganglion cells (RGCs),

which are distinct nodes that collect information processed by the retina from specific, rather

spatially restricted, groups of photoreceptors (receptive fields). In addition, the structure and

function of retinal neuronal circuits are fairly well understood, and optical methods already make

it possible to observe neuronal activity during photoreceptor stimulation in genetically modified

animals. These methods, with further developments, could effectively provide the necessary

interface between the computer and the neural network of the human retina in vivo – without introducing additional modifications to our organisms. Such an interface could, in turn, be

developed into an autonomous communication system with our brain that would perform the initial

computational tasks already at the retinal level. However, as a first step, a fundamental question

needs to be answered: is it possible to acquire information about the functional state of the

retina for the inputs and outputs of its neuronal circuitry using non-invasive optical methods?

This question is the leitmotif and the basis for the research hypothesis in this project