This web content discusses the importance of developing an integrative data-driven model to understand the complex behaviors of organisms, emphasizing the interaction among the brain, body, and environment. The focus is on creating a comprehensive model for the nematode C. elegans, with detailed neural network and body-environment models in an open-source framework called BAAIWorm. The neural network model includes 136 neurons with realistic dynamics, while the body model consists of a soft body with muscles for locomotion in a fluid environment. A novel Target Body Reference Coordinate System is proposed to quantify C. elegans’ behaviors accurately. This groundbreaking work has the potential to advance systems biology and neural mechanism research.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43588-024-00738-w