Neural cells physiology & interactions

The brain comprises many cells types including neurons, glial cells and vascular cells. On top of this multiplicity of cell types adds up a great heterogeneity of morphological, molecular and physiological properties depending on the brain regions and cell subtypes considered. This framework implies a great complexity in the mechanisms that underlie brain functions.

NeuroPSI researchers, bringing together their complementary expertise, study these cell properties and seek to understand how multiple cellular interactions participate in the brain vital and cognitive functions by enabling information processing. Interactions between neuronal activities are studied through the analysis of electrophysiological recordings and calcium/voltage imaging of synaptic activities, local field potentials oscillations and neuronal discharges in different brain regions of interest, including the cortex, the hippocampus or the cerebellum in mammals, as well as by functional imaging in the drosophila and zebrafish. The activation of non-electrically excitable cells such as astrocytes and microglia is also analyzed by imaging techniques using photosensitive probes in order to determine their role in the control of neuronal activities.

In addition, our research also focuses on identifying molecular signatures and changes associated with fundamental biological processes including cell regeneration, metabolic control, biorhythms synchronization and aging. Finally, these experimental approaches are also complemented by modeling and simulating datasets though the use and development of neuroinformatic tools.