Doctoral Researchers‘ Seminar by Jana Bachir Salvador (B03) and Ezgi Erterek (C02)
On February 20th, the EBM group attended the Doctoral Researchers‘ Seminar organized by Jana Bachir Salvador (Project B03) and Ezgi Erterek (Project C02). The seminar took place in the newly established Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, providing an ideal setting for discussions on integrating physics, medicine, and neuroscience.
Jana Bachir Salvador presented her research on the determinants of central nervous system tissue mechanics in homeostasis. She focused on the quantification of mechanical tissue properties through Brillouin microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)-based indentation, highlighting the challenges and potential comparability of these techniques. One of the key aspects of her talk was the dynamic tracking of mechanical property changes induced by controlled spatiotemporal optogenetic manipulation of tissue structure and composition. Her discussion pointed out the potential of these methods in revealing how mechanical properties evolve in response to biological modifications.
Ezgi Erterek discussed the influence of mechanical properties on neuronal plasticity, particularly in relation to the extracellular matrix (ECM). Her work examined how the mechanical characteristics of cortical layers might impact neuronal function while also developing methods to modify ECM properties both in vitro and in vivo. She and her team worked on developing tools to alter ECM properties, including the use of hydrogels for in vitro experiments and magnet-tagged sBC constructs for in vivo applications. Her team also refined imaging techniques to better observe changes associated with neuronal activity and focused on optimizing live imaging analysis before and after long-term potentiation (LTP) stimulation to further understand the role of tissue stiffness in neuronal plasticity.
The discussions following the presentations were both insightful and productive, with group members actively engaging with the speakers. The seminar provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on the current challenges in the field and the possibilities for future research projects.
Erica Cecchini, A02
