FocalPlane - Where biology meets microscopy

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This image of a cultured hippocampal neuron expressing the calcium sensor GCaMP6s was submitted by Thomas Chater. The GCaMP6s was fused to Lifeact, in order to localise the calcium sensor to regions rich in actin, such as the postsynaptic synaptic compartment. Left image is the integrated activity of the neuron over a few minutes. The other panels show the synaptic activity coloured-coded depending on its timing.

Thomas studied at the University of Edinburgh, before moving to the University of Bristol to do a PhD. Now, he works at RIKEN in the Centre for Brain Science, Japan, in the Laboratory of Synaptic Plasticity and Connectivity. Here, he studies synaptic dynamics, primarily using confocal and 2 photon imaging, combined with glutamate uncaging and electrophysiology, to monitor and elicit synaptic plasticity at defined inputs. His research focuses on how neurons regulate the strength and number of synapses across their dendritic arbors, and how changes in strength at active synapses can modulate nearby inactive neighbours.

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Recent posts

Microscopy preprints – applications in cell biology and more

Posted by FocalPlane, on 22 October 2021

Here is a curated selection of preprints published recently. In this post, we focus specifically on preprints using microscopy tools in different fields such as cell biology, neuroscience, and development. These two preprints were selected by Pablo J. Sáez who also participated in our Hot Reads post this month: An anti-inflammatory activation sequence governs macrophage

OpenFlexure: an open-source 3D printed microscope

Posted by Joe Knapper, on 19 October 2021

The OpenFlexure Microscope is an open-source microscope 3D printed in plastic, with versions suitable for hobbyists, researchers, and lab technicians. Currently used around the world as an accessible, customisable alternative to expensive and fixed commercial microscopes, the OpenFlexure Microscope began life as an academic prototype for holding a lens and sample in place. Here we

News digest

Posted by FocalPlane, on 15 October 2021

Here is a selection of interesting news, publications and discussions related to microscopy that happened in the last two weeks. Thank you to our ‘FocalPlane reporters’ Andrey Andreev, Martin Jones, Manish Kumar and Parash Prasad who helped us create this list. Twitter Microscopes and imaging tools: New work from Prevedel lab on 3-photon microscopy https://twitter.com/Prevedel_Lab/…

Development presents… an Imaging Special

Posted by Helen Zenner, on 12 October 2021

Development presents… is a webinar series hosted by Development. The webinars are chaired each month by a different Development Editor, who invites talks from authors of exciting new papers and preprints. First authors are particularly encouraged to present their work – we hope the series will become a forum for supporting early-career researchers. As well

Microscopy preprints – New tools and techniques

Posted by FocalPlane, on 8 October 2021

Here is a curated selection of preprints published recently. In this post, we focus specifically on new imaging tools only. Preprint selected by Pablo J. Sáez who also participated in our Hot Reads post this month: A turquoise fluorescence lifetime-based biosensor for quantitative imaging of intracellular calcium. Franka H. van der Linden, Eike K. Mahlandt,

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