Long-range interactions between genomic sites such as enhancers and promoters constitute a major node of regulation in gene expression and development. Recent technology developments make it possible to probe these interactions from the single molecule level to genome-wide landscapes. The goal of this meeting was to gather leaders in fields relevant to imaging enhancers and transcription dynamics. Together, these approaches can provide the foundation for a quantitative description of how long-range genomic interactions occur and how they regulate gene expression over time.
View Full DetailsA follow-up to the 2010 Janelia conference on "Structural Plasticity in the Mammalian Brain", this symposium highlighted recent studies of neuronal structure and synaptic function during physiological and pathological processes, as well as novel mechanisms underlying these processes. An overarching goal is to bridge the gap between studies of individual anatomical structures and functional outputs. We also hope to use it as a platform to identify open problems and introduce new imaging approaches. Leaders in the field from around the world presented the latest advances in cutting edge imaging methods, and a significant portion of the meeting was devoted to disease mechanisms and how live imaging will contribute to the development of novel therapeutic strategies.
View Full DetailsAcross organisms and brain regions, neurons are often organized into stereotypical columns and maps based on a sensory or motor parameter, for example, retinotopy, or the direction of a reaching movement. A large body of work has focused on factors contributing to the development of such order in the brain. This short-talk- and discussion-based meeting addressed the relationship between stereotypical structure and neural circuit function. How do map-like neuronal arrangements shape neural computation and ultimately behavior? Are common circuit modules used across a range of sensory or motor parameters? What broad classes of excitatory and inhibitory interactions within and across structural units underlie an ordered circuit's function? Why is topographical organization more pronounced in some brain regions/species than others? How do multi-sensory or sensory and motor maps interact, and how does experience alter this interaction?
View Full DetailsThe insect mushroom body (MB) has been shown to be involved in a variety of behaviors, such as olfactory learning and memory, sleep and decision-making. This meeting will brought together leading investigators to address the anatomy, behavioral roles, physiology and evolution of MBs in various insect species. Presentations and discussions covered current approaches for studying MBs in the areas of anatomy, biochemistry, electrophysiology and functional imaging in an effort to reveal MB function in a circuit model of the insect brain.
View Full DetailsThis conference was first held at Janelia in 2008, and again in 2010. Presentations highlighted recent advances in the development of new genetic reagents for the exogenous control of neural circuit activity, including naturally evolved light-gated ion channels and pumps, mutagenized temperature-sensitive synaptic transmission components, rationally designed photo-switches, and "orthogonal" drug/receptor pairs, among others. We brought together leaders in the field to review progress in the design and use of current tools and, more importantly, to discuss the development of novel tools and their potential applications.
View Full DetailsA half-century of in vivo electrophysiological recordings indicate that neurons in many areas of the CNS, including the visual system, become sensitive to increasingly specific characteristics of external cues as stimulus-evoked signals propagate centrally. However, recent studies provide evidence for neurons early in the visual pathway with highly selective receptive field properties, suggesting that the early representation of the visual scene is perhaps more elaborate than established models suggest. These new findings emphasize the need for a better understanding of the functional and anatomical organization of circuits throughout the visual pathway: (1) Which neurons comprise the circuit and how are they connected? (2) How do these neurons process and convey information to a subsequent synapse(s)? (3) How are signals transformed throughout multiple stages of processing?
View Full DetailsAssociative learning and memory are fundamental capacities of all animals with a nervous system. Invertebrates have been pivotal to the understanding of learning and memory at the behavioral, cellular and molecular level. Honeybees and fruit flies, in particular, have paved the way to the dissection of mechanisms underlying different forms of learning and memory. The identification of memory traces at various levels, including brain structures such as antennal lobes, mushroom bodies and extrinsic mushroom-body neurons, suggests a system consolidation of memories and requires focus at the network level. Given these recent significant advancements, we look forward to vigorous discussion by experts from around the world on the dynamic exchange and cross talk between structures and circuits during memory formation and retrieval.
View Full DetailsBuilding on discussions from the first three meetings in this series, we will showcase the development of cutting-edge tools and technology for imaging, from cells to intact animals. Sessions will cover the design and discovery of new fluorescent proteins (and intriguing alternatives), and their incorporation into sensors for signaling molecules and cellular states. Innovative imaging modalities making use of such reagents, as well as biological discoveries gleaned from such experiments, will also be presented. It is our hope that the meeting can present a clear picture of how far these tools have come in recent years, and what additional reagents and capabilities are required to continue the advance of the Age of Light.
View Full DetailsThe social lives of animals involve a diverse and rich set of mechanisms mediating interactions among individuals. This conference will bring together groups that study different aspects of social behavior in a variety of organisms and use diverse tools to analyze the behaviors, circuits and genes that regulate them.
View Full DetailsRecent advances in next-generation sequencing techniques are transforming our ability to probe the molecular basis of neuronal function. The purpose of this meeting is to highlight sequencing approaches to scientific problems, including the molecular determinants of neuronal identity, transcriptional diversity among neuronal tissues, cells and sub-cellular compartments, and the molecular mechanisms of experience-dependent plasticity and neuropsychiatric disease. The meeting will also bring together experimental and computational biologists seeking to extend or develop new methods of measuring and interpreting genome wide changes in gene expression and genome structure in a variety of vertebrate and invertebrate systems.
View Full DetailsA follow-up to the first meeting in 2009, this conference will focus on recent advances in the identification and characterization of the neural circuitry controlling reproductive behaviors. Invited speakers bring expertise from a variety of invertebrate and vertebrate systems. We look forward to vigorous discussions and fostering new collaborations among investigators studying sex-specific behaviors and those developing new tools and methods to dissect the underlying mechanisms.
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