I am
currently an Undergraduate Neuroscience major at Mason and a Research Assistant
at the Krasnow Institute in the laboratory of Dr. Ted Dumas.
Dr. Dumas
is mentoring me on a project designed to enable visual measurement of neuronal
activity in hundreds to thousands of neurons simultaneously in behaving animals
with genetically encoded optical voltage sensors. This approach involves fluorescence resonance
energy transfer (FRET) interaction between a fluorescent protein (XFP) tagged
to the cell membrane and an exogenous chemical, dipicrylamine (DPA), that
intercalates into the cell membrane. We will optimize this system to observe
fluorescent signals produced by single action potentials in hippocampal
neurons. Genetically encoded voltage probes will enable us to image and record
electrical activity in real time, linking temporal and spatial properties of
hippocampal neuronal ensemble activation patterns to spatial cognition and
episodic memory.
I am
gaining skills in molecular biology, including plasmid transformation into
bacteria and amplification/purification of plasmid from bacteria, restriction
digests, and gel electrophoresis, along with cloning techniques such as vector
design, polymerase chain reaction, restriction digests, and ligation
reactions. Gaining expertise in these
skills will broaden my perspective on scientific inquiry and will improve my
chances of acceptance into the graduate program of my choosing. This project is
important to me because it will enable us to image and record the spiking
activity of neurons in a revolutionary way; far exceeding the
electrophysiological approaches standardly practiced. Improvement of voltage
sensor technology points toward significant advancements in neuroscience.
