Neurobiologie

The Diversity and Inclusion event of the GSN and Faculty of Biology aims to provide a platform that promotes diversity and inclusion by actively addressing the topic and showing our commitment to an open and non-discriminatory working environment. The talks, the discussion forum and the workshop address various dimensions of diversity. The team of the LMU Diversity Management will host a fair with several booths introducing their services in the Biozentrum Foyer.

Content: We will discuss articles on computational neuroscience ranging from cellular to network computation. Every student will present one article on the topic of their choice on cell and network computation. All students will have to read one article presented by other students and actively participate in a discussion. We will discuss in depth each article and proceed to an interactive 'review' where we will simulate an article revision, and take the roles of editors and reviewers. Constructive feedback on the presentations will further be given to help improving presentation skills.

Evaluation will consist of the article presentation (50%) and the contribution to the discussion of other articles during the course (50%). A basic knowledge of neuroscience is required. The course mainly targets Master and PhD students.

Content: This seminar introduces recent data analysis methods highlighted in current research papers. Using Python, participants will actively implement these techniques, gaining first hand experience in application of the methods to the real data and interpreting results. The foundational theories behind these methods will be discussed, referencing established analytical texts. We'll particularly focus on analysis methods regarding time series data, dimensionality reduction, and dynamical systems.

Learning Outcomes: Grasp and apply contemporary data analysis methods from recent research.
Efficiently utilize Python to implement and validate these techniques.
Comprehend the basic theoretical principles underpinning these methods.
Acquire the capability to assess and modify these techniques for specific research objectives.

Content: Organoids represent an emerging model system technology that allows the growth and analysis of human organ-like tissues in the dish. Brain organoids in particular have proven valuable for research due to the difficulty of investigating human brain development experimentally. In this 2-week block course, the participants will learn how to work in cell culture as well as grow and analyze brain organoids themselves. The course consists of a theoretical and a practical part.

Learning outcome: During the theoretical morning lectures, the students will learn the theoretical basics of stem cell and organoid culture as well as present a recent paper on organoid technologies themselves. During the practical parts in the afternoon, the students will acquire hands-on experience in organoid culture. They will be introduced to good working practices that are required in a sterile stem cell lab. Consequently, they will learn how to culture and passage stem cells as well as grow their own organoids using the original brain organoid protocol (Lancaster and Knoblich, 2014). Finally, the students will learn how to analyze organoids histologically.

In this lab you will obtain intracellular recordings from the neurons of the medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis).

By the end of this lab you will be able to do the following:

1. Understand the importance of AD/DA conversions, sampling rates and amplification gains.
   
2. Dissect a leech and identify segmental ganglia.
3. Use a micromanipulator to position glass recording electrodes (microelectrodes) over the leech ganglion.
4. Make intracellular recordings from leech neurons.
5. Deliver current injections through the electrode using an intracellular amplifier and the PowerLab.
6. Identify different at least 5 types of neurons (Retzius cells, T cells, N cells, P cells and motor neurons).
   
7. Stimulate the sensory neurons (T cells) that are responsive to touch on the skin.
   
8. Attempt paired recordings of two Retzius cells and observe the gap-junction coupling.

TRR 274 is a research consortium with scientists from Munich and Göttingen, who collaborate to investigate the checkpoints that determine CNS recovery. Learn more on our website.

Course content: The CNS is a terminally differentiated tissue, where any insult carries a heightened risk - yet the tissue response to these insults is variable and can range from irreversible destruction to almost complete recovery. The rules that instruct these divergent outcomes are still unknown. The topic of this lecture series is the biology of the multicellular response that determines recovery after CNS injury. We will focus on the multi-scale, spatio-temporal cell biology in different models of CNS injury. The participants will not only be introduced to principles of CNS recovery, but also the new imaging technology that is necessary to study the biology. Another focus will be put on neuronal, glial and immunological aspects of CNS recovery/damage.

Learning objectives:

• Introduction into various inflammatory, traumatic, metabolic or ischemic models and their various mechanisms that determine the balance between reconstitution and scarring (e.g. multiple sclerosis and inflammation induced CNS damage, axonal injury and loss, spinal cord injury, stroke)
• Introduction into imaging approaches in neuroscience (specifically electron microscopy techniques to understand ultrastructural details of CNS tissue and in vivo imaging approaches)
• Principles of CNS recovery from a neuronal, glial and immunological perspective (e.g. Remyelination, axonal regeneration, role of inflammatory cells in injury and recovery)
• Presentation of current research findings in the recovery of the CNS recovery (therapeutic approaches and molecular targets)

 2 ECTS; via Zoom; registration per email required at adinda.wens@med.uni-goettingen.de until 11.10.2024.

Inhalt

In der Vorlesung werden theoretische und praktische Grundkenntnisse in Tier- und Humanphysiologie vermittelt. Die Vorlesung führt ein in grundlegende Aspekte der Tierphysiologie, dies sind insbesondere: Osmoregulation, Muskelphysiologie, Herz- und Kreislaufphysiologie, Ionentransport über Membranen und Nernst-Gleichung, Atemphysiologie, Sehen, Hören und EEG.

 Qualifikationsziele

Lerninhalte sind theoretische Grundlagen der Physiologie der Tiere und des Menschen. Die Studierenden beherrschen die Inhalte der Vorlesungen und sind zum Wissenstransfer auf aktuelle Probleme fähig.

The course consists of a lecture and excercise to deepen knowledge in several neurohistological methods in mammals. Topics include stereotaxis, fixation and preparation of nervous tissue, sectioning, immunostaining, tracing methods, analysing of stained sections with bright field, epifluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Furthermore, methods for preparing high quality images from multi-immunostainings are applied to prepared sections. Finally, the students will analyse and discuss their results in respect to related publications and prepare a presentation. The students work in groups of 2-3 on individual projects and present the outcome within the class.

The lecture Systems Neuroscience 1 addresses the principles of sensory processing, the transduction of adequate stimuli, and ensuing sensory-motor interactions. A detailed description of the peripheral and central stages of each specific sensory system is accompanied by theoretical concepts of the underlying neuronal processing. The lecture is given weekly and requires regular attendance and a final exam. The following sensory systems are covered by participating lecturers:

-The mechanosensory lateral line system of aquatic animals and its role in the detection, identification and localisation of objects on the water surface or within the water body

-Electroreception: peripheral and central properties of independently evolved systems, and the systems’ role in object detection, orientation, and communication

-The ontogenesis, organization and plasticity of the vestibular system and general aspects of sensory-motor interaction

-Principles of several chemoreceptive systems, peripheral and central processes of the gustatory and the olfactory system, multimodal interactions 

-Peripheral and central stages of somatosensory systems, and their function

-Mechanisms of pain, and temperature perception