My PhD revolves around the main mediator of synaptic inhibition: the GABAA receptor. I'm interested in how they both move in the neuronal membrane, how their motion is controlled at the molecular level and how it is affected in certain neuropathologies.
The techniques so far:
– Quantum dot (QD) labelling of GABAARs in cultured neurons
– Computational analysis (detection & tracking) of GABAAR-QDs
I've had some fun building these simulations in Processing. They're designed to get across some of the aspects of my work.
– data simulation (and the problem of association)
– diffusion on a non-uniform "diffusivity map"