Molecular Techniques and Imaging (Phase 1)

June 6 – 11
Section Boss: Mike Hoppa
Section Consigliere: Erik Jorgensen 

Description:

The objective of MOLT is to introduce the students to cutting-edge molecular approaches in neurobiology, this year the course will focus on molecular techniques with optical/microscopic readouts of neural function. Experimentally, we will be exploring basic processes of synaptic biology, neural metabolism, organelle function and neural plasticity using a host of techniques. On the molecular side this will include, CRISPR, chemogenetic protein degration, chemogenetic physiology reporters and novel optogenetic readouts of cellular function and physiology. We will be setting the stage with molecular techniques in phase 1 of MOLT to then make optical recordings of cellular function in phase 2. Optically, we will deploy fluorescent techniques including structured illumination,2-Photon illumination, STORM, light sheet microscopy, voltage imaging and in vivo readouts of cellular physiology as well as electron microscopy. A detailed understanding of these cellular phenomenon may lead to new insight into neurological disease characterized by unstable or altered function of neural circuits including intellectual disabilities, neural degeneration and epilepsy.

We hope that this ʻMolecular Bootcampʼ will both educate the students in methodology and empower students to pursue these types of experiments in their own research programs at their home institutions. While it is not expected that the students will become completely proficient in these techniques, they will have established important contacts with expert faculty and will gain sufficient experience to understand the awesome power and potential limitations of these approaches. 

General Daily Schedule

9:00 - 11:30am: Lecture 
12:00 – 1:30pm: Lunch/ Free time 
1:30 – 6:00pm: Lab 
6:00 – 7:00pm: Dinner/Free time 
7:00pm – midnight: Lab and/or evening seminar (at 8 PM for seminar) 

Day Time Event

Jun 5-Mon

12:00pm      MOLT Faculty and TAs Meet in Loeb Basement Tour of course, group discussion of goals, led by Mike Hoppa and Raul Ramos
Jun 6-Tue 3:30pm      STUDENTS/Faculty/TAs Introduction to course by Directors, tour of facilities, meet the Course Manager and Course Assistants
6:00pm Social BBQ outside LOEB 

Jun 7-Wed

9:00-11:30am

Forward genetics approaches and understanding neural polarity - Erik Jorgensen

12:00-1:30pm

Lunch and free time Lab 

1:30-3:30pm

Project Descriptions and “open lab” student visits

3:30pm

Jar of Destiny

6:30pm- Projects
Jun 8-Thu

9:00-11:30

Reverse genetic approaches and synaptogenesis Lab - Peri Kurshan

12:00-1:30pm

Lunch and free time
1:30pm- Lab Projects
Jun 9-Fri

9:00-11:30am

Protein Modification/Proteomic  Approaches to understand neural metabolism - Gulcin Pekkurnaz

12:00-1:30pm  Lunch and free time
1:30-6pm Projects
8:00-10:30pm

Cytoskeleton and Scaffolds for postsynaptic signaling - Harold MacGilvary

Jun 10-Sat 9:00-11:30am Optogenetics: history, actuators and indicators - Ahmed
Abdelfattah
2:00 pm E-PHYS FACULTY/TA Meeting only (NOT MOLT)
1:30-6pm Projects
6:30pm End of section PARTY, MECS faculty and TAs invited.
Jun 11-Sun     Off

ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY (Membrane Excitability and Channels)

June 12 – June 24th
Section head:
Ricardo C. Araneda

Section Description: Our most fundamental knowledge of neuronal function is based on electrophysiological techniques. In the MECS section students will learn the basics principles that underlie the membrane potential of neurons, ion channel function, including gating and permeation, and the techniques used in their study. We will review basic concepts of whole-cell recordings, including voltage- and current-clamp, and extracellular recordings. In addition, we will review signal transduction in neurons and sensory transduction.

Daily Schedule (some exceptions noted below)

9:00am – 12:00pm: Lecture
12:00 – 1:30pm: Lunch/ Free time
1:30 – 6:00pm: Lab
6:00 – 7:00pm: Dinner/Free time
7:00pm – Evening: Lab and/or evening seminar

Day Time Event
Mon June 12 9am-12:00 Meeting with MECS faculty, Setting up a whole-cell rig
1:30-6pm Short Rotations in Each rig (Puller demonstration)
8:00pm Monday Night “Kravitz” Lecture: Ghazal Ashrafi
Tues June 13 9am-12:00pm Lecture, Jon Sack – Voltage-clamp
1:30pm-evening Discussion of projects and the Jar of Destiny
Weds June 14 9am-12:00pm Lecture: Jon Sack – Single Channel Recording
1:30pm-evening Projects
6:00pm Pizza and lightning talks Neuro, NS&B and SPINES
Thurs June 15 9am-12:00pm Lecture: Ricardo Araneda/Rebecca Piskorowski: Current-
clamp and neuronal firing.
1:30pm-evening Projects
Fri June 16 9am-12:00pm Rod McKinnon – Structure of Ion Channels
1:30pm-evening Projects
Sat June 17   SOFTBALL?
Sun June 18   OFF
Mon June 19 9am-12:00pm Lecture, Melanie Kaelberer– Extracellular Recordings
1:30-6pm Projects
8:00pm Monday Night Lecture
Tues June 20 9am-12:00 REVIEW with all Faculty
1:30-6pm Projects
6:00pm Pizza and lightning talks Neuro, NS&B and SPINES
Weds June 21 9am-12:00pm Lecture: Yalda Moayedi – Sensory Transduction
1:30-Evening Projects
Thurs June 22 9am-12:00 Lecture: Andrea Gomez – Signal transduction in the brain, metabotropic receptors
1:30-6:00pm  Projects
Evening MECS rigs disassembled
Fri June 23 9am-12:00pm Lecture: Diego Bohorquez, Neural basis of visceral instincts
1:30pm-evening Data analysis
MECS rig parts need to be packed and returned.
Sat June 24 9am-12:00pm Preparation of presentations
3:30-6pm Preparation of presentations
6pm End of Cycle Party, Meet MOLT 2 Faculty

Sun June 26

  OFF

MOLT II Imaging Section

June 26 – July 3
Section Boss: Mike Hoppa 
Section Consigliere: Erik Jorgensen

The objective of the second phase of the MOLT section is the imaging section, where projects will continue, but we will explore modern connections between molecular techniques and imaging, where will be to learn modern tools and approaches of microscopy from first principle optics to the application of in vitro and in vivo imaging to study synaptic and cellular function. Students will receive lectures from leading scientists on optics, resolution, electron microscopy, signal detection and the application of imaging toward solving outstanding questions in neurobiology. The questions and groups will continue from MOLT section 1.

Daily Schedule (some exceptions noted below)

9:00am – 12:00pm: Lecture
12:00 – 1:30pm: Lunch/ Free time
1:30 – 6:00pm: Lab
6:00 – 7:00pm: Dinner/Free time
7:00pm – evening: Lab and/or evening seminar

Day Time Event
Jun 26-Mon 9:00am-12pm

Lecture: Introduction to Fluorescent Microscopy – Jeff Lichtman

12:00-1:30

Lunch and free time

1:30pm-8pm

Lab Projects

8pm

Monday Night Kravitz Lecture: Ivan Soltesz

Jun 27-Tue

9:00am-12pm

Lecture: Resolution in Microscopy to Understand Synaptic Transmission – Erik Jorgensen  

12:00-1:30

Lunch and free time

1:30pm-

Lab Projects

Jun 28-Wed

9:00am-12pm

Lecture: Light Detection, Measuring Presynaptic Function with Light – Mike Hoppa

12:00-1:30

Lunch and free time

1:30pm-

Projects

June 29-Thur

9:00am-12pm

Lecture: Synaptic Structural LTP and understanding its mechanisms using fluorescent lifetime microscopy – Ryohei Yasuda

12:00-1:30pm

Lunch and free time

1:30pm

Projects

9:00pm

“Science on Tap” (Kombucha and Beer) Discussion of creating optical sensors and life in general.

June 30-Fri

9:00am-12pm

In vivo imaging to understand neural plasticity – Haining Zhong

12-1:30pm

Lunch
1:30pm- Projects/DATA ANALYSIS
July 1-SAT 10am-1pm

DATA ANALYSIS/Prepare presentation

2pm

SOFTBALL
Faculty/TA Meeting for Synapses & Circuits

July 2-SUN

9-11:30

Prepare Presentations

12pm

Lunch Provided in Tents – Discuss MBL Float ideas

July 3-Mon

9:00am-12pm

FINAL MOLT PRESENTATIONS

2:00pm

Prepare Neurobiology July 4th Float (students) 
Synapses and Circuits Faculty & TA meeting

5:00pm

Monday Lecture/ END OF SECTION PARTY

July 4-Tues

9am-noon

4th of July Parade
1:30pm Afternoon Off

Synapses and Circuits

July 5th – 19th
Section head: Rebecca Piskorowski

Section Description: The Synapses and Circuits section will apply many of the methods from the MOLT and MECS section to study the communication between cells, circuits, and synaptic plasticity. Several projects of this section will be linking these processes to behaviors and experiences of different model organisms. The lectures of this section will be given by the faculty. This section will finish up with an afternoon panel of experts to discuss career choices and strategies. 

Daily Schedule (some exceptions noted below)

9:00 –11 Lecture
10:30-12:00 Lab
12:00 – 1:30 pm: Lunch/ Free time
1:30– 6:00 pm: Lab
6:00 – 7:00 pm: Dinner/Free time
7:00 pm – evening: Lab and/or evening seminar (at 8 PM)

Day Time Event

July 5th

9-11:00am

Lecture: Shigeki Watanabe – Synaptic Transmission
Rig open house / project presentations
Jar of Destiny

July 6th

9am-11:00

Lecture: Jayeeta Basu – Interneurons GABA transmission

1:30-6pm

Projects
After dinner: projects

July 7th

9-11:00am Lecture: Brad Zuchero – Glia !!!
1:30-6pm Projects
After dinner: projects

July 8th

 

Rig meetings / Projects
Softball (maybe) 

July 9th

 

FREE DAY

July 10th

9-11:00am

Lecture: Ian Davidson – Cortical Networks Bottom-up

1:30-6pm Projects
After dinner: projects
 

July 11th

9-11:00am Lecture: Belen Pardi – Cortical Networks Top-Down

1:30-6pm

Projects
After dinner: projects

July 12th

9-11:00am Lecture: Matt Banghart – Neuromodulation and Neuropeptides
1:30-6pm Projects
After dinner: projects

July 13th

9-11:00am Lecture: Carlos Aizenman - Neurodevelopment
1:30-dinner Projects
After dinner - midnight Projects

July 14th

Afternoon

Lecture: Panel of scientists who have branched out

July 15th  

Softball (maybe) 
Last experimental day marathon

July 16th   Free Day
July 17th

Presentation preparation

8PM Monday night "Rosenbluff" lecture – Alex Chesler
July 18th 9am – 11am Final presentations

Afternoon

Big Outing !!!!
Graduation Party !!!

July 19th   Everyone pack up and go home.