Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy (LSCM) is an essential tool for cell, developmental and neurobiology. The Department of Biological Sciences will use LSCM to meet the biological imaging needs of several independent research programs within the department .
Dr. Lisa Elferink will examine if the GTPase protein rab15 regulates the endocytic recycling of synaptic vesicles during signal transmission at synaptic junctions. Dr. Markus Friedrich will analyze the cellular dynamics of pattern formation during grasshopper eye development in real time and assess the effects of perturbing wingless and decapentaplegic signaling during this process. Drs. Balsamo and Lilien will examine the structure of the intact developing embryonic neural retina in the presence of cell permeable probes, which disrupt the function of specific adhesion molecules, unraveling their relative roles in development. Dr. Aleksandar Popadic will explore the cellular dynamics of myriapod embryogenesis and investigate the expression patterns of homeotic genes in early myriapod embryos. Dr. Mark Van Berkum will investigate the functional relationships between calmodulin and the signal transduction mediator molecules, son-of-sevenless and abelson tyrosine kinase, during Drosophila neural development, and analyze the pathfinding behaviour of Drosophila motorneurons in real time.
These studies will contribute significantly to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating several pathways critical for normal neural and developmental function and to the molecular analysis of developmental evolution in animals.
