PROJECT DESCRIPTION – Master’s Thesis Department of Biomedicine

Project title

Ion channels in action: signal processing in synaptic microcircuits and small neuronal networks

Study track

Human Physiology, Medical Cell Biology, Pharmacy

Name of supervisor Position/employer Duration of employment E-mail

Meg Veruki, PhD Associate Professor, Neuroscience Research Group Permanent margaret.veruki@biomed.uib.no

Name of co-supervisor Position/employer Duration of employment E-mail

Espen Hartveit, MD, PhD Professor, Neuroscience Research Group Permanent espen.hartveit@biomed.uib.no

Number of students 2 – 3

Project description

Project goal

The goal of these MSc projects is for the student to understand and apply the versatile and powerful technique of patch-clamp recording by investigating the action of specific ion channels in identified neurons. This technique is used in modern cell biology and physiology laboratories throughout the world as well as the pharmaceutical and other industries related to cell biology. The student will chose from one of the topics listed below after discussion with the above supervisors.

Project background

The focus of the lab is to study the basic mechanisms of synaptic transmission between nerve cells in the central nervous system. Our approach is multidisciplinary and combines electrophysiological recording, imaging, pharmacology, computer modeling and 3D morphological reconstruction of neurons to investigate the activity and function of ion channels and other cellular and molecular mechanisms of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission.

Topics

1. Functional properties and modulation of GABA, glycine or glutamate receptors in identified neurons in the mammalian retina. 2. Modulation of electrically-coupled neuronal networks. 3. Changes in retinal glutamate receptor function in diabetes. 4. Investigation of the role of voltage-gated Na+ channels in amacrine cells.

Methods

The primary technique to be mastered by the student is that of patch-clamp recording from intact neurons in brain slices. With its different configurations, patch-clamp recording can control and measure the activity of voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels, metabotropic receptors, electrical synapses and even transporter currents with high precision and resolution. Most commonly, whole-cell and nucleated patch recordings will be performed. Both voltage-clamp, current-clamp and dynamic clamp are regularly used in the lab and can be combined with multi-photon imaging and 3D morphological reconstruction of neurons.