MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION

Principal Investigators

Juan Blasi

Full Professor

Study of the action of epsilon toxin on the nervous system

Francisco José López Murcia

Assistant Professor

The Presynaptic Dimension of Brain Pathologies:from the Neurotransmitter Release Machinery to Microcircuits

Artur Llobet

Associate Professor

Synaptic function during the remodeling of neuronal circuits

Carles Solsona

Full Professor

Study of the action of epsilon toxin on the nervous system

Research team

 

Beatrice Terni

Assistant Professor

 

Pablo Martinez

Postdoctoral Researcher

 

Marta Casas

Early Stage Researcher

 

Celia Velasco

Early Stage Researcher

Research Interest

 

Our reserach aims to understand how synapses process information in the brain by gaining knowledge on their contribution to cognition, sensory adaptation, learning and memory. To address the study of the cellular and molecular bases of synaptic function in health and disease, we use a multidisciplinary set of approaches based on the combination of electrophysiology, imaging and molecular assays. Major research interests include: the study of the action of bacterial toxins and particularly, epsilon toxin, on the nervous system, the importance of synaptic stability in information processing, the interactions established among proteins involved in neurotransmitter release and the study of synaptic (dys)function in the experimental model of X. tropicalis tadpoles.

Technologies & Methods

 

  • Electrophysiology
  • Combination of electrophysiology and optical imaging
  • Fluorescence microscopy
  • Electron microscopy
  • Histology
  • Protein purification

Active Projects

 

    • Laboratori de Neurobiologia Cel·lular i Molecular. Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca. 2017SGR1017. Carles Maria Solsona.

 

    • Red de Investigación Transfronteriza en Enfermedades Priónicas Humanas y Animales (REDPRION). European Union. EFA148/16 REDPRION. Juan Blasi

 

    • Regulación outside-in de la función presináptica por factores neuronales y gliales secretados. Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades. RTI2018-096948-B-I00. Artur Llobet

Selected Publications

 

    • Ortiz-Miguel, S., Miguel-Pérez, M., Navarro, J., Möller, I., Pérez-Bellmunt, A., Agullo, J. L., Ortiz-Sagristà, J., Blasi, J., & Martinoli, C. (2021). Compartments of the antebrachial fascia of the forearm: clinically relevant ultrasound, anatomical and histological findings. Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy: SRA, 43(10), 1569–1579. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-021-02736-3

 

Knowledge transfer & Innovation

 

  • Extensímetro para estructuras biológicas. AVCRI243-E