Award Abstract #0320964
Acquisition of a Flexible Multiphoton System for Studies of Neuronal Plasticity

NSF Org:	DBI Division of Biological Infrastructure
Initial Amendment Date:	July 17, 2003
Latest Amendment Date:	July 17, 2003
Award Number:	0320964
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Robyn E. Hannigan DBI Division of Biological Infrastructure BIO Directorate for Biological Sciences
Start Date:	August 1, 2003
Expires:	July 31, 2006 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:	$275715
Investigator(s):	Esther Nimchinsky nimchins@andromeda.rutgers.edu (Principal Investigator) James Tepper (Co-Principal Investigator) Laszlo Zaborszky (Co-Principal Investigator) Denis Pare (Co-Principal Investigator) Elizbeth Abercrombie (Co-Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:	Rutgers University New Brunswick 3 RUTGERS PLAZA NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ 08901 732/932-0150
NSF Program(s):	MAJOR RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION
Field Application(s):
Program Reference Code(s):	BIOT, 9184
Program Element Code(s):	1189

ABSTRACT

A grant has been awarded to Rutgers University under the direction of Dr. Esther Nimchinsky to acquire a two-photon laser scanning microscopy (2PLSM) suite, consisting of two custom-designed microscopes operating off a single laser source. The research projects described below represent some of the first studies in what will undoubtedly be the next phase of synaptic physiology research. They go to the heart of the question of how individual synapses interact with their immediate microenvironment, and how neurons are able to receive so many diverse inputs, respond individually to each, and maintain precisely an appropriate level of functioning for the constantly changing demands of the outside world.

The understanding of how neurons communicate with one another has come largely from studies where large numbers of synapses are sampled at the same time, and inferences are drawn regarding their individual behavior from the population averages. While this approach has yielded a great deal of knowledge, there is no escaping the fact that synapses are individual structures. In fact, one of their fascinating properties is that they can be modified separately-with over 10,000 synapses on each neuron, this is an ability that permits an exquisite degree of fine-tuning. However, their extremely small size makes them very difficult to study. In recent years there have been several important technological advances that greatly improve the ability to study individual synapses and their modulation. 2PLSM is an advanced imaging technique that was developed to permit imaging of structures deep in live tissue in vitro and in vivo for extended periods. It thus permits very high-resolution studies at the level of individual synapses in intact tissue, as well as time-lapse studies, which are critical for the uncovering of time-dependent processes. At the same time genetically encoded fluorophores have been characterized and improved, permitting the labeling of living cells with relatively low toxicity. Dyes sensitive to changes in intracellular calcium have also improved dramatically, and these allow the study of functional aspects of neuronal behavior. The system proposed here would be flexible enough to take full advantage of all these innovations. Using 2PLSM and new fluorescent dyes, individual synapses can, for the first time, be studied optically in intact tissue. Specifically, all these techniques will be combined to study the interactions of astrocytes, the major non-neuronal cell type in the brain, with synapses; the ways in which neurons balance the strengths of their synapses across their branches; and the roles of the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin in synaptic function, and their mechanisms of action.

This 2PLSM suite will greatly benefit projects that have a broad relevance in neuroscience, and which will be publicized by publication in major journals and presentation at national and international meetings such as that of the Society for Neuroscience. The acquisition of this flexible system will further the teaching mission of the university. Students and postdoctoral fellows in the participating labs and beyond will learn not only how neurons look and how synapses function, but will also acquire hands-on experience in the fundamentals of optics and microscopy, and learn how to optimize experimental conditions and the instruments themselves to make the most of their preparations. In addition, the faculty themselves will learn to use and exploit this important new technology, and perhaps also further to advance it. Furthermore, the acquisition of this microscopy system at Rutgers University-Newark, a campus where underrepresented minorities comprise a very sizeable proportion (40%) of the student body, will put state-of-the-art technology and a cutting-edge approach within reach of a large number of motivated students who would otherwise be very unlikely to have access to them. Finally, the presence at the campus of these microscopes would enhance the strengths of the CMBN in the field of neuronal plasticity, and help to attract faculty and students that are interested in this rapidly expanding field.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

(Showing: 1 - 2 of 2).

Julien Chuquet, Liad Hollender and Esther A. Nimchinsky.  "High-resolution in vivo imaging of the neurovascular unit during spreading depression,"  Journal of Neuroscience,  v.27,  2007,  p. 4036.

Wearne SL, Rodriguez A, Ehlenberger DB, Rocher AB, Henderson SC, Hof PR..  "New techniques for imaging, digitization and analysis of three-dimensional neural morphology on multiple scales.,"  Neuroscience.,  v.136,  2005,  p. 661.


(Showing: 1 - 2 of 2).

Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.