Psychiatric disorders are of major clinical relevance in our society.
Due to the complexity, only limited information is available on the molecular and cellular mechanisms that control behavioural traits. Animal models, in which genes that play a role in behaviour could be systematically identified and analyzed, would be of great value. Our screen will focus upon two cardinal symptoms of complex neurological and psychiatric disorders, i.e. cognitive disturbances and anxiety. Our longterm goal is to establish a collection of mouse mutants which can be used for future investigations of neurobehavioural mechanisms and the pathogenesis of psychiatric diseases.