Ashwin Miriyala

The behavioural drive to seek reward is fundamental for survival. Psychologists suggest that in
mammals, reward can be divided into wanting, liking and learning, each with distinct
neurobiological components. While much research has revealed the neural substrates involved in
learning, there is little known about how liking and wanting are represented in the brain, and how
they drive approach to a reward. To study this in Drosophila, I built a tethered-walking setup with
closed-loop odour delivery that allows quantifying behaviours indicative of liking (e.g. grooming,
proboscis extension) and wanting (e.g. persistance and vigor of approach). I use this setup along
with genetic tools to target dopaminergic subsystems and test how they are involved in seeking a
water reward.