Welcome to the next episode of the WOrM Podcast 🪱Today we’re looking at something deceptively simple: a turn.But not just that a worm turns —how the brain decides to do it.⸻🧬 The central ideaTurning in C. elegans is not a reflex.It’s a sequence.A structured, repeatable pattern of neural activity that links:• sensation• decision• and movementinto a single behavioural output.⸻🔬 What’s really happening?Using whole-brain calcium imaging, this study captures activity across the nervous system during olfactory navigation.What emerges is clear:• turns act as error-correction events• they occur when the worm deviates from its path• and they are executed through ordered neural sequencesEach turn is not random.It is built.⸻⚡ A sequence, not a signalDuring a turn:• specific neurons activate• in a stereotyped order• across timeSome neurons respond to sensory cues.Others anticipate the direction of the upcoming turn.This is not reaction.It is prediction unfolding in time.⸻🧠 The role of modulationA key player here is tyramine.It helps coordinate these neural sequences —linking circuit structure to dynamic control of behaviour.So the system is not just wired.It is tuned.⸻🧠 The take-home messageBehaviour is not the output of single neurons.It is the product of time-ordered neural activity.In this case:sensory input → neural sequence → predicted actionAnd the shift is important:To understand behaviour, we need to think in time, not just space.⸻📄 Paper discussedKramer, T. S.; Wan, F. K.; Pugliese, S. M.; Atanas, A. A.; Pradhan, S.; Hiser, A. W.; Godinez, L. M.; Luo, J.; Bueno, E.; Felt, T.; Flavell, S. W. (2026)Neural sequences underlying directed turning in Caenorhabditis elegansNaturehttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-026-02257-5If you enjoyed this episode, please like, follow, and subscribe wherever you listen to the WOrM Podcast ⭐🎧 It really helps others in the community find the show.This podcast is generated with artificial intelligence and curated by Veeren. If you’d like your publication featured on the show, please get in touch.📩 More info:🔗 www.veerenchauhan.com📧 [email protected]

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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