Another position for a PhD student is available. It is part of a larger effort to understand how neuronal and synaptic function are dynamically controlled by astrocytes in the hippocampus. The position is advertised on the FENS job market (https://www.fens.org/careers/job-market/job/120099). All details regarding the position, the project and how to apply can be found there.

In the planned research, we will explore how rapid morphological changes of perisynaptic astrocyte processes (see papers below) affect the function and plasticity of nearby excitatory synapses.

Anders, B. Breithausen, P. Unichenko, M.K. Herde, D. Minge, A. Abramian, C. Behringer, T. Deshpande, A. Boehlen, C. Domingos, L. Henning, J. Pitsch, Y.-B. Kim, P. Bedner, C. Steinhäuser, C. Henneberger (2024) Epileptic activity triggers rapid ROCK1-dependent astrocyte morphology changes. Glia 72(3):643-659. (link)

Henneberger C, Bard L, Panatier A, Reynolds J, Kopach O, Medvedev NI, Minge D, Herde MK, Anders S, Kraev I, Heller JP, Rama S, Zheng K, Jensen TP, Sanchez-Romero I, Jackson C, Janovjak H, Ottersen OP, Nagelhus EA, Oliet SHR, Stewart MG, Nägerl UV, Rusakov DA (2020) LTP induction boosts glutamate spillover by driving withdrawal of perisynaptic astroglia. Neuron 108(5):919-936. (link)

A neuroscience PhD studentship is available in our lab. The position is part of a larger effort to understand how the plasticity of excitatory synapses is controlled by co-agonists of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDARs). We explore how neurons and non-neuronal cells shape synaptic plasticity, and in turn learning, by supplying the NMDAR co-agonists D-serine and glycine. We do so using newly designed optical indicators for D-serine and glycine. Specifically, we plan to optimize the current generation of optical indicators to study D-serine and glycine signaling in the rodent hippocampus. This will be achieved by using state-of-the-art optical and electrophysiological methods such as intensity and lifetime based multiphoton fluorescence microscopy of genetically encoded and organic indicators.

Please see job advertisement for further details and how to apply. The application deadline is the 3rd of March 2024.

The project is building on the following two papers from our lab (among others):

• K. Bohmbach, N. Masala, E.M. Schönhense, K. Hill, A.N. Haubrich, A. Zimmer, T. Opitz, H. Beck, C. Henneberger (2022) An astrocytic signaling loop for frequency-dependent control of dendritic integration and spatial learning. Nat. Commun. 13(1):7932. (link, open access)
• Zhang WH, Herde MK, Mitchell JA, Whitfield JH, Wulff AB, Vongsouthi V, Sanchez-Romero I, Gulakova PE, Minge D, Breithausen B, Schoch S, Janovjak H, Jackson CJ, Henneberger C (2018) Monitoring hippocampal glycine with the computationally designed optical sensor GlyFS. Nat. Chem. Biol. 14(9):861-869. (link)

A neuroscience PhD studentship is available. It is part of a larger effort to understand how structural plasticity and turnover of synapses and remodelling of nearby astrocytes are coordinated and what their role for synapse and circuit function and behaviour is.

The specific aim is to reveal the relationship between synaptic structural plasticity and turnover and the remodelling of perisynaptic astrocytic processes in vivo, and to identify the relevant signalling cascades and the consequences of their disruption. The project relies on an extensive experimental toolset for monitoring synaptic and astrocytic structure and its dynamic changes using multiphoton fluorescence microscopy and for manipulating astrocyte morphology.

Please see job advertisement for further details and how to apply. The application deadline is the 31st of March.

The project is building on two recent papers from our lab:

• Herde K, Bohmbach K, Domingos C, Vana N, Komorowska-Müller JA, Passlick S,  Schwarz I, Jackson CJ, Dietrich D, Schwarz MK, Henneberger C (2020) Local efficacy of glutamate uptake decreases with synapse size. Cell Rep. 32(12):108182 (link, open access)
• Henneberger C, Bard L, Panatier A, Reynolds J, Kopach O, Medvedev NI, Minge D, Herde MK, Anders S, Kraev I, Heller JP, Rama S, Zheng K, Jensen TP, Sanchez-Romero I, Jackson C, Janovjak H, Ottersen OP, Nagelhus EA, Oliet SHR, Stewart MG, Nägerl UV, Rusakov DA (2020) LTP induction boosts glutamate spillover by driving withdrawal of perisynaptic astroglia. Neuron (in press) (link, open access)