ISMB Seminar - William Schafer, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge

This week’s speaker is William Schafer from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge and their talk, ‘ The neuropeptidergic connectome’, hosted by Matt Gold.

Abstract: Elucidating the mechanisms by which nervous systems process information and generate behaviour is among the fundamental problems of biology. Ultimately, it is desirable to understand these processes at the most basic level, that of molecules and cells. The Schafer lab is investigating these questions using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, which has an anatomically simple and well-defined nervous system and is tractable to molecular and classical genetic analysis. Using a range of approaches, including optogenetic neuroimaging, high content behavioural phenotyping, and electrophysiological analysis of heterologously-expressed receptors and channels, they aim to uncover fundamental principles of nervous system function at the molecular and circuit levels.

This talk is part of the ISMB Seminar Series for the Autumn/Term 2024-25, “Understanding neuronal processes at multiple scales - key questions and new approaches”. 

Neurons are highly-differentiated cells that employ great structural and functional diversity within networks that underlie brain function. However, understanding how these cells function at the molecular level is no small challenge. The autumn seminar series in 2024 will examine how neurons are able to perform complex functions using simple molecular building blocks. The seminar series will include talks on the molecular structure of neurons at different scales assisted by the latest high-resolution imaging approaches. Speakers will also examine the molecular basis of neuronal functions including cytoskeletal trafficking, localised protein synthesis, and circuit formation. In addition, the series will explore how molecular insights may be exploited in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

The series is co-ordinated by Matthew Gold and Andres Ramos.