Lab
Gottschalk lab
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Statement of Research Interest
Welcome to our lab
We work in three main areas, in the context of molecular, cellular and behavioral neurobiology: 1) How neuronal activity evokes and modulates behavior, 2) mechanisms of chemical synaptic transmission, and 3) we are developing methods, particularly in optogenetics. Our model animal is the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We recently began to applying our methods in also zebrafish larvae.
1) To analyze neuronal networks and their involvement in behavior, we express optogenetic tools in defined neurons, or specifically photoactivate defined neurons, to evoke, inhibit or modulate the behavior controlled by these cells. This allows analyzing cell-autonomous function of genes needed in that cell.
2) Components of the machineries that mediate synaptic transmission, both on the pre-synaptic side (e.g. synaptic vesicle proteins), and on the post-synaptic side (e.g. proteins associated with neurotransmitter receptors) are analyzed by a combination of optogenetics, genetics, cell biology, electrophysiology and electron microscopy.
3) Optogenetic tools that we developed or implemented include rhodopsin-based actuators and inhibitors, light-driven enzymes for 2nd
messengers, photoactivated degrons and clostridial neurotoxins, and genetically encoded fluorescent indicators for Ca2+, cGMP and membrane voltage.
We work in three main areas, in the context of molecular, cellular and behavioral neurobiology: 1) How neuronal activity evokes and modulates behavior, 2) mechanisms of chemical synaptic transmission, and 3) we are developing methods, particularly in optogenetics. Our model animal is the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We recently began to applying our methods in also zebrafish larvae.
1) To analyze neuronal networks and their involvement in behavior, we express optogenetic tools in defined neurons, or specifically photoactivate defined neurons, to evoke, inhibit or modulate the behavior controlled by these cells. This allows analyzing cell-autonomous function of genes needed in that cell.
2) Components of the machineries that mediate synaptic transmission, both on the pre-synaptic side (e.g. synaptic vesicle proteins), and on the post-synaptic side (e.g. proteins associated with neurotransmitter receptors) are analyzed by a combination of optogenetics, genetics, cell biology, electrophysiology and electron microscopy.
3) Optogenetic tools that we developed or implemented include rhodopsin-based actuators and inhibitors, light-driven enzymes for 2nd
messengers, photoactivated degrons and clostridial neurotoxins, and genetically encoded fluorescent indicators for Ca2+, cGMP and membrane voltage.
Lab Members