**This seminar will take place virtually via Zoom. A link to view will be posted closer to the seminar date.**

This month's speakers:

Michael Post (Sulzer Lab): Development of 19F-Magnetic Resonance False Neurotransmitters

Changes in endogenous dopamine levels are a hallmark condition of neuropsychiatric disorders.  Therefore, the ability to quantify dopamine levels could provide a research and diagnostic tool for Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, depression and many other diseases.  Fluorescent false neurotransmitters (FFNs), substrates for dopamine active transporter (DAT) and vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2), have proven to be a powerful tool in studying catecholamine storage and release in slice and in vivo. We have begun developing pH-sensitive 19F-MRS-analogues of FFNs, so that dopamine storage and release can be monitored in vivo in mice. MFN103, our first candidate, has been characterized in vitro by NMR, demonstrating a 0.5ppm change between vesicular and extracellular pHs. It will soon undergo initial in vivo testing in mice.

Ebru Demir (Axel Lab): Neural circuits for social reinforcement

One decision that is essential for the fitness of the species surrounds mate choice. In mice, mate decisions are dictated by scents. The olfactory information for sexual decisions is gathered by the specialized social-olfactory and generic-olfactory circuits. The main and vomeronasal olfactory epitheliums at the periphery send projections to distinct brain structures, but the interaction between the two has not been elucidated. I will first discuss my recent work that has characterized “a novel functional- convergence point” between the two olfactory pathways and further identified the molecularly defined circuitry for a pheromone reward (darcin), which reinforces socially relevant learned behaviors. Next I will discuss a social-preference-based decision task that I have developed for mice that enables quantitative measurement of the animal’s subjective values and provides an opportunity to manipulate these values.

This seminar is part of the Zuckerman Institute Postdoctoral Seminar series. For questions about this or future seminars, please contact [email protected].