This course is intended to familiarize the students with a wide range of methods and technologies used in state-of-the-art neuroscience research. The lecture-based part of the course will cover a range of methods, including neurophysiology, imaging, microscopy and optogenetic techniques.
The lab course will take place between September 6-17, 2020. This part will include extensive hands-on experiments in several labs, followed by data analysis and submission of written reports. The main emphasis will be given on techniques of neurophysiology. Techniques covered in the lab course will include:
- Extracellular and intracellular recordings in vivo.
- Patch clamp recording in cultured neurons.
- Imaging of calcium dynamics in individual cells.
- Optogenetics
- In vivo calcium imaging in freely moving mice.
- MRI imaging of inanimate samples and human volunteers.
The number of participants is limited to 14. However, students who wish to take the lecture course can still do so without taking the practical course (both parts are obligatory for Brain Science or Molecular/Cellular Neuroscience MSc students).
The final assignment will include a short written summary of the experiments performed during the laboratory course. For students taking only the lecture course, the final assignment will consist of a written research proposal in the form of a 2-page grant application in the field of neurotechnology development.