O Speaker: Dr. Sangkyu Lee

 

O Affiliation: Center for Cognition and Sociality, IBS

 

O Date: March 26, 2025

 

O Start Time: 4:00 PM

 

ABSTRACT:

 

Communication among a specific set of molecules plays crucial roles not only in determining functions of individual cells but also in creating harmonious multicellular actions in the brain and ultimately organisms’ behaviors. Therefore, understanding the impact of specific molecular communication on higher-level functions is fundamental to elucidating how the brain functions as a whole. In the first part of my talk, I will introduce a series of molecular optogenetic tools that allow for the precise control of molecular communication in living systems. By combining plant photoreceptors and mammalian proteins, these optogenetic tools can be applied to diverse cell types and organisms to regulate specific molecular functions and corresponding higher-order functions with high spatiotemporal precision. In the second part, I will present our recent achievements in the visualization and manipulation of synapses in the brain. For visualization, I will present our developed genetically encoded fluorescent indicators capable of monitoring the structural dynamics of individual synapses in real-time. For manipulation, I will discuss our ongoing research on engineering neuron-astrocyte interactions for synapse elimination. These synthetic molecular approaches offer unprecedented means to precisely manipulate brain function, deepening our understanding of the fundamental principles and relationships governing molecular and cellular communication in complex biological systems.

 

 

* The seminar will be held offline and online[https://kaist.zoom.us/j/86770940131] simultaneously.

 

* Closed Caption interpretation service (English) available online (service provided by Zoom)