Integrated nanoscopy and microscopy in 3-D to study hippocampal neurogenesis at the synaptic and molecular level.

这项研究计划旨在分析一种与摄食相关的激素在刺激新脑细胞生成方面的作用。产生新的成年脑细胞的能力对正常健康的大脑功能非常重要。形成新神经元的能力降低与常见的、令人衰弱的大脑疾病、痴呆症和抑郁症有关。这项研究将使用工程师建立的最先进的工具，使我们能够比以前更详细地观察脑细胞。将这些纳米尺度的工具应用于神经科学将提供有关脑细胞随着时间的推移的精确结构和功能的宝贵信息。最终，这一新的方法将表征新脑细胞生成的机制，从而为痴呆症和抑郁症的治疗提供新的靶点。

This research proposal aims to analyse the role of a feeding-associated hormone in stimulating the generation of new brain cells. The ability to generate new adult brain cells is very important for normal healthy brain function. A reduced ability to form new neurones is associated with the common and debilitating brain disorders, dementia and depression.This research will use state-of-the-art tools, established by engineers, that will allow us to look at brain cells in far greater detail than previously possible. The application of these nano-scale tools to neuroscience will provide invaluable information on the precise structure and function of brain cells over time. Ultimately, this novel approach will characterise the mechanism of new brain cell generation leading to new targets for the treatment of dementia and depression.