Neurobiology and Synaptic Function
Group Leader(s): Dr Maike Kittelmann
About us
We are interested in the connection between ultrastructure and function at different levels of the nervous system:
- Nervous system: What did the earliest neurons in animals look like and how did they function (in collaboration with Dr. Pawel Burkhardt, Sars, University of Bergen)?
- Sensory organs: How is ommatidia size regulated in flies and what are the functional consequences in signal detection and processing?
- Synapses: How does presynaptic ultrastructure affect synaptic signalling in C. elegans?
Research impact
We use a large variety of imaging techniques including Confocal microscopy, Electron microscopy and synchrotron radiation microtomography. Undergraduate and postgraduate students receive hands-on training and experience in microscopy and image processing through their projects and therefore valuable skill sets for academia as well as industry.
Leadership
Dr Maike Kittelmann
Senior Research Fellow