QBI Neuroscience Seminar: The development of next generation of optogenetic tools for improved control and observation of neuronal functions

Event Details

Date:

Wednesday, 30 March 2016 - Wednesday, 30 March 2016

Time:

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Room:

QBI Level 7 Auditorium

UQ Location:

Queensland Brain Institute (St Lucia)

URL:

http://www.qbi.uq.edu.au/neuroscience-seminars

Event category(s):

Full Description:: Professor John Y Lin, School of Medicine, University of Tasmania
Title: The development of next generation of optogenetic tools for improved control and observation of neuronal functions
Abstract:
Optogenetic tools such as channelrhodopsins and halorhodopsins have been used extensively to study neural activity in the last decade. Utilising light to modulate cellular and synaptic activities both in vitro and in vivo is a powerful approach to dissect neurocircuitry and correlate neuronal activities to their behavioural effects. This talk will discuss our previous works on improving the properties of both the blue and red light activable channelrhodopsin variants (Lin et al. Biophys J 2009 & Lin et al. Nat Neurosc 2013) and their recent utilisation in vitro and in vivo. I will also describe our optogenetic method to inhibit synaptic release using light (Lin et al. Neuron 2013). At last, I will describe our current efforts to develop novel methods to optogenetically map neural and synaptic activities, manipulate synaptic plasticity, and modulate G-protein coupled receptor pathways as part of the BRAIN Initiative funded by US National Institutes of Health and funded by NHMRC.