Course overview
Synapses are sites of information transfer and storage in the brain. These specialised structures integrate complex signals and undergo functional changes that underlie the formation of memories. Synaptic dysfunction is associated with early stages of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, and underlies neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disability.
Studying synapse function and plasticity is key to understanding brain circuits that underlie behaviour, and to identify synaptic malfunction mechanisms underpinning brain diseases. This course will allow students to integrate theoretical and methodological concepts on synapse biology with hands-on experience on state-of-the art imaging, functional and computational methodologies. The course provides an in-depth understanding to many concepts such as synapse formation and maintenance, pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms, structural and functional synaptic plasticity, synaptic integration in neuronal networks and synaptopathies. Hands-on experimental projects conducted in small groups with the support of senior scientists will expose the students to methodologies at the forefront of research in this field.
Partner
Course Directors
Institut de Biologie de l’ENS, France
University of Bordeaux, France
Honorary lectures from Brain Prize Winners
Erin Schuman
Max Planck Institute for Brain Research - Frankfurt, Germany
Michael Greenberg
Harvard Medical School - Boston, USA
Keynote Speakers
Corette Wierenga, Radboud Universiteit – Nijmegen, Netherlands
Franck Polleux, Columbia University, New York, USA
Monica Di Luca, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
Nelson Rebola, Institut du Cerveau, Paris, France
Patrik Verstreken, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Belgium
Peter Scheiffele, Universität Basel, Switzerland
Instructors
Lynette Lim, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Belgiuim
Oriane Mauger, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry – Frankfurt, Germany
Melissa Herman, Charité Berlin, Germany
Etienne Herzog, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience – Bordeaux, France
Lise Schwab, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience – Bordeaux, France
Audrey Dufau, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience – Bordeaux, France
Vasika Venugopal, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience – Bordeaux, France
Margaux Saint-Martin, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience – Bordeaux, France
Melissa Cizeron, Mechanisms in Integrated Life Sciences – Lyon, France
Corette Wierenga, Radboud Universiteit – Nijmegen, Netherlands
Ségolène Bompierre, Radboud Universiteit – Nijmegen, Netherlands
Chao Sun, Aarhus University, Denmark
Silvia Turchetto, Aarhus University, Denmark
Cyril Hanus, Institute for Psychiatry and Neurosciences of Paris, France
Matteo Fossati, CNR Institute of Neuroscience – Milano, Italy
Anne-Sophie Hafner, Radboud Universiteit – Nijmegen, Netherlands
Akshay Kapadia, Radboud Universiteit – Nijmegen, Netherlands
Emilie Pacary, Neurocentre Magendie – Bordeaux, France
Estelle Cartier, Neurocentre Magendie – Bordeaux, France
Dominique Fernandes, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience – Bordeaux, France
Romain Boularand, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience – Bordeaux, France
Ivo Calaresu, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience – Bordeaux, France
Camille Mergaux, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience – Bordeaux, France
Olivier Rossier, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience – Bordeaux, France,
Amine Mehidi, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience – Bordeaux, France
Florelle Domart, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience – Bordeaux, France
Simon Lecomte, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience – Bordeaux, France
Pauline Belzanne, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience – Bordeaux, France
Meera Chandra, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience – Bordeaux, France
Viviana Villicana Munoz, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience – Bordeaux, France
Course format
Three weeks of intensive training, with students in the lead, supported by senior scientists
The course includes both lectures by leading scientists in synapse biology, and hands-on training in two projects of about 9 days each, supported by senior scientists. Students (20 maximum) will attend theoretical and methodological lectures during the morning sessions, and spend the afternoon period in the Neuroscience Training Lab at the Neurocampus performing projects in groups of 2-3 students. The training laboratory is dedicated to the course and it is equipped with a wet lab for cellular and molecular biology, cell culture and animal rooms, electrophysiology rigs and behavior set-ups. Students will have access to core facilities at the University of Bordeaux, including to the Bordeaux Imaging Center, the Functional Genomics and the Biochemistry facilities. Support and expertise to carry out the projects is provided by external instructors coming from leading international laboratories in synapse biology, who will be present throughout the duration of the projects and assist students in their experiments (one instructor per group). Students are encouraged to participate in the design of projects, ahead of the course, through interaction with their project instructor. Students are welcome to bring their constructs or models, to be integrated in the project to be conducted. At the end of each project, students will present their findings and discuss with colleagues and instructors. Extracurricular activities (such as panel discussions on ethics, diversity and equity in Neuroscience), outreach activities and social events are also planned.
Course Topics
1. Activity-dependent regulation of gene expression and synapses
2. Local protein synthesis and degradation
3. Trafficking of synaptic proteins
4. Synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity
5. Extracellular synaptic organizers, synaptic adhesion and circuit specification
6. Synaptic integration in neuronal networks
7. Presynaptic and postsynaptic mechanisms
8. Excitation and inhibition
9. Synaptic dysfunction in diseases
10. Structure-function of synaptic proteins
11. Neuromodulation
12. Human-specific regulations of synapses
Techniques
- Super-resolution microscopy (PALM, STORM, DNA PAINT, STED)
- Synapse-type specific proteomics (FASS)
- Single-molecule RNA FISH, real-time qPCR
- Stereotaxic surgery, in utero and single cell electroporation
- Two photon and confocal microscopy, live imaging
- FRET measurements for activity sensors
- In vivo FRAP
- Whole cell patch clamp recordings
- Expansion microscopy
- Electron microscopy
- Computational analysis
- Optogenetics
- Gene editing
- Behavior
Experimental Projects
- Developmental trajectories of long-range GABAergic neurons
- Exploration of RNA mechanisms underlying memory formation
- Investigating mechanisms of low-frequency synaptic depression in cultured hippocampal synapses
- How shearing forces impact multipartite synapses during synaptosome preparation and sorting
- Visualizing Astrocyte-Neuron and Astrocyte-Synapse Interactions in 3D Using Expansion Microscopy
- Imaging extracellular synapse organizers using live and super-resolution microscopy in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans
- Lighting up neuromodulation: visualizing PKA signaling in hippocampal neurons using a FRET-based imaging approach
- Visualizing Activity-dependent Signaling for Synaptic Protein Clearance
- Atomistic modeling of glycosylated synaptic protein structure
- Assessing excitatory and inhibitory synapse development upon in vivo manipulation of gene function in distinct neuronal populations
- Impact of local APP amyloidogenic proteolysis on presynaptic function
- Analysis of excitatory and inhibitoy synapses in vivo using in utero electropration and stereotaxic injections
- Exploring the impact of extracellular matrix complexity in the diffusion of circulating molecules and cell surface proteins
- Revealing the role and localization of talin in glutamatergic synapses
- Revealing the co-organization of synaptic proteins using SMLM microscopy techniques
- Optically controlling synaptic transmission at hippocampal mossy fiber synapses with a bistable inhibitory optoGPCR
Bordeaux School of Neuroscience, France
The Bordeaux School of Neuroscience is part of Bordeaux Neurocampus, the Neuroscience Department of the University of Bordeaux. Christophe Mulle, its current director, founded it in 2015. Throughout the year, renowned scientists, promising young researchers and many students from any geographical horizon come to the School.
The school works on this principle: training in neuroscience research through experimental practice, within the framework of a real research laboratory.
Facilities
Their dedicated laboratory (500m2), available for about 20 trainees, is equipped with a wet lab, an in vitro and in vivo electrophysiology room, IT facilities, a standard cellular imaging room, an animal facility equipped for behavior studies and surgery and catering/meeting spaces. They also have access to high-level core facilities within the University of Bordeaux. They offer their services to international training teams who wish to organize courses in all fields of neuroscience thanks to a dedicated staff for the full logistics (travels, accommodation, on-site catering, social events) and administration and 2 scientific managers in support of the experimentation.
Registration
Fee : 4 500 € (includes tuition fee, accommodation and meals)
Applications closed
The CAJAL programme offers 4 stipends per course (waived registration fee, not including travel expenses). Please apply through the course online application form. In order to identify candidates in real need of a stipend, any grant applicant is encouraged to first request funds from their lab, institution or government.
Kindly note that if you benefited from a Cajal stipend in the past, you are no longer eligible to receive this kind of funding. However other types of funding (such as partial travel grants from sponsors) might be made available after the participants selection pro- cess, depending on the course.
