2023 Neurobiology Schedule
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 |
|
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) |
|
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 |
July 6th |
9am-11:00 |
Lecture: Jayeeta Basu – Interneurons GABA transmission |
1:30-6pm |
Projects |
|
July 7th |
9-11:00am | Lecture: Brad Zuchero – Glia !!! |
1:30-6pm | Projects After dinner: projects |
|
July 8th |
Rig meetings / Projects |
|
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 |
|
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) |
|
July 16th | Free Day | |
July 17th |
Presentation preparation |
|
8PM | Monday night "Rosenbluff" lecture – Alex Chesler | |
July 18th | 9am – 11am | Final presentations |
Afternoon |
Big Outing !!!! |
|
July 19th | Everyone pack up and go home. |