VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
Grant: $211,524 - National Institutes of Health - May. 15, 2009
No votes have been cast for this award yet
Join the conversation: Post a comment about this award
Award Description: This proposal plans to develop a technique that will permit the selective activation of individual subtypes of neurons by expressing in specific types of neurons genes of proteins that are capable of depolarizing only those neurons when the activator protein is stimulated. The activator protein we will use is the snail FMRFamide ligand-gated sodium channel (FaNaC). FaNaC is ideal because it is not found in the mammalian nervous system thereby allowing selective activation of only the neurons in which it has been expressed. To improve this technique, we will attempt to synthesize a light-sensitive compound that can activate FaNaC expressing neurons with millisecond precision. Furthermore, we will use rapid activation of FaNaC or other heterologously-expressed proteins to study how specific types of inhibitory interneurons in hippocampal CA1 are controlled by specific types of surrounding neurons. Because inhibitory interneurons have roles in CNS diseases such as epilepsy, anxiety, schizophrenia and spasm, information obtained from these studies will be relevant to understanding how inhibitory interneuron dysfunction may contribute to abnormal CNS function.
Project Description: Progress is being made towards all aspects of the project as described in the Award Description field
Jobs Summary: A position for a laboratory technician was created. (Total jobs reported: 1)
Project Status: Less Than 50% Completed
This award's data was last updated on May. 15, 2009. Help expand these official descriptions using the wiki below.
No comments have been added for this project.