DNC2015: OIST Developmental Neurobiology Course 2015

The central nervous system is a very complex organ. The human brain is thought to consist of nearly 100 billion neurons, each of which specifically connects with many other neurons or target cells through over 1000 synapses to form various functional neural circuits. It is generally accepted that developmental processes in multi-cellular organisms are regulated by genes, but the total number of genes in human was estimated to be 20,000 – 25,000, which is many orders of magnitude smaller than the number of neurons in the human brain. A very mysterious yet important question is how such a relatively small number of genes can specify the accurate construction such a very complex but sophisticated brain structure. In addition, neural activity-dependent mechanisms refine functional neural circuits during post-embryonic stages. To answer these questions, many neuroscientists have applied molecular, genetic, cellular and physiological approaches to discover several important concepts that govern the nervous system development. A major aim of the OIST DNC is to introduce research topics in neural development from CNS patterning, to neuronal differentiation, to neural circuit formation, to neural plasticity and behavior, to neural stem cells and disease. Throughout these lectures, students will learn principles of developmental neurobiology with historical background. Furthermore, students will conduct practical training to experience a range of experimental approaches using several prominent invertebrate and vertebrate animal models. In this way, DNC offers the interdisciplinary combination of neuronal cell biology, developmental biology, imaging, electrophysiology and behavior that is essential to modern researchers investigating the vanguard of this important field.

​Newest information regarding course information and application deadlines will be provided at the "Developmental Neurobiology Course" website:  https://groups.oist.jp/dnc/dnc2015