A European consortium coordinated by CNCR investigator Ruud Toonen receives 1 million euros for epilepsy research.

At the annual meeting of the graduate school Neurosciences Amsterdam and Rotterdam (ONWAR) CNCR members Marieke van Ziel, Vincent Huson, Marinka Brouwer, Claudia Persoon and Mariana Raimundo Pinto de Matos won the Blitz presentation and oral presentation prices.

A study by Marieke Meijer (CNCR-FGA) published in EMBO journal reveals a novel and potent way for neurons to shut down synaptic transmission via tyrosine phosphorylation of Munc18-1.

During the 5th Clinical Genetics Science meeting, Claudia won the price for best poster, a €500 stipendium, for her poster on the role of RIM proteins in neuropeptide release in the brain

The SYNGO project, a joint initiative of CNCR (MCN, FGA), The Broad Institute/Stanley Center in Cambridge, USA and the GO-consortium, announced reaching their phase II targets towards the evidence-based annotation of synaptic genes.

A study by Enqi He (CNCR-FGA) published in Nature Communications demonstrates how synaptic vesicles remain in a high-energy (‘primed’) state, ready to be released. Two proteins, Munc13-1 and Munc18-1, stabilize the primed state by preventing de-priming and hereby support high frequency synaptic transmission.

Margherita Farina will defend her thesis ‘Trafficking and secretion of neuropeptides in mouse hippocampal neurons’. Related to this event, the German expert on BDNF signalling, Prof. V. Lessmann, will present a lecture “Postsynaptic BDNF secretion and action in spike timing-dependent LTP“ on Wed, June28th 3PM @W&N F123

Javier Emperador-Melero, PhD-student at FGA, describes how regulated secretory pathways mature in mixed excitatory/inhibitory micro-networks of human iPS-cell derived neurons.