Internal Seminar: Leonidas Georgiou, Stargazing the brain

Internal Seminar

Speaker: Leonidas Georgiou, PhD Student, Optical Neuroimaging Unit (Bernd Kuhn)

Title: Stargazing the brain

Abstract: 

100 billion neurons work together to create your thoughts and feelings. However, this is only half the story since neurons represent only half of the cells in your brain. The other half of your brain is composed of cells called glia. What if these glia cells, beyond their supporting roles are also involved in information processing in the brain? The most numerous glial cells are the star shaped astrocytes. Modern evidence suggests that astrocytes, beyond their supportive roles are also involved in information processing in the brain. However, most of these evidence was collected from brain slices. We developed a method that allows us to investigate the interactions of astrocytes and neurons in the brain of awake mice free to move on a wheel apparatus. We found that adeno associated viruses can transfer anterogradely through neurons to infect astrocytes at their projection sites. This property allows us to record the activity of astrocytes and neurons using genetically encoded indicators and 2-photon microscopy through a chronic cranial window in awake mice. Do astrocytes and neurons communicate with each other? If so what do they talk about and what does it mean?

Free pizza and soft drinks will be served following the seminar. Please join us for continued discussion and refreshments from 5:00pm, and please bring a mug and plate.