We would like to welcome Erika Uddström to the lab as a rotational student in the NAD program! She will be learning how to utilize computational methods to understand how the synapse organizes.

Welcome Erika!

Independently engaging protein tethers of different length enhance synaptic vesicle trafficking to the plasma membrane

Click here to read more!

Using computational modelling, we show that proteins and protein complexes of different lengths, such as synaptotagmin-1, Munc13, and the SNARE complex, as well as their abundance at the active zone can enhance synaptic vesicle trafficking to the plasma membrane

We would like to welcome Dr. Mechi Bengochea and Pontus LeBlanc to the Walter Lab!

Dr. Bengochea will be setting up and working on behavioral experiments for the lab, while Pontus will be helping out with our fly husbandry, imaging experiments, and cell culture. We are very excited to have these new members so we can further study neuronal communication and plasticity in the Drosophila melanogaster model organism!

The Walter Lab is happy to announce that we, in collaboration with the Sørensen Lab, are hosting a Symposium in Synapse in Health and Disease in Copenhagen from January 23- 25, 2025!

Join us for an exciting international symposium exploring cutting-edge research in synapse biology, featuring world-renowned experts from prestigious institutes. This event will dive into key topics such as:

·       Molecular Studies of the Synapse

·       Synaptic Vesicle States

·       Neuromodulation

·       Long Range Plasticity in the Nervous System

·       Diseases of the Nervous System

·       Neuronal Cell Biology

·       Molecular Mechanisms of Neurotransmitter Release

·       Sensory Processing

The symposium provides a platform for both leading scientists and junior researchers, including PhD students, postdocs, and students in Neuroscience and related fields, to engage and collaborate.

Venue:

Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen

Set in the heart of Copenhagen, surrounded by the beautiful sites of this Scandinavian capital.

Networking Opportunities:

Reception: On the first evening, a reception will be held for all attendees to encourage networking and exchange of ideas.

Poster Sessions: Present your research and engage with peers.

Short Talks: Selected from submitted abstracts.

Dinner: For speakers of invited speakers.

This is a unique opportunity to connect with experts at the forefront of neuroscience research. We look forward to welcoming you to Copenhagen!

Click here to sign up!

We had a wonderful lab outing canoeing north of Copenhagen!The weather was very nice while we canoed, and in classic Copenhagen fashion, it began to rain as soon as we finished, we lucked out! It was fun to watch us learn to canoe with each other and adapt to how we paddled around, a very "hygge" experience.

We at the Walter Lab would like to congratulate Dr. Manon Berns for an amazing defense of her Ph.D. Dissertation on the "Molecular Mechanisms of Synaptic Transmission Investigated Using Mathematical Models". She has worked so hard these last few years, and it's no surprise she has achieved her Doctorate! We wish her the best to her and her future endeavors.

We would also like to congratulate Simona Buccolo M.Sc. for successfully defending her Masters Thesis on "Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Regulating Presynaptic Homeostatic Potentiation".

Congratulations to both again for their hard work and dedication!

Synaptotagmin 7 docks synaptic vesicles to support facilitation and Doc2α-triggered asynchronous release

Using electrophysioloygy, electro microscopy, fluoresence imaging, and mathematical modeling, we find that Doc2alpha is the major Ca2+ sensor for asynchronous release, while Sytnaptotagmin7 play a supporting role in this release via docking mechanisms

Read more here!

Unc13A dynamically stabilizes vesicle priming at synaptic release sites for short-term facilitation and homeostatic potentiation.

Using a combination of electrophysiological recordings, STED microscopy and Mathematical modelling we showed that Ca2+-Calmodulin binding to Unc13A enhances neurotransmitter release-site occupation through its subsynaptic redistribution. In this way Unc13A plays a role in short-term facilitation and homeostatic potentiation.
Enjoy reading the work

We had a wonderful time exploring the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, and enjoyed the lovely early May weather.

Kavya Vinayan Pushpalatha received a Lundbeck Foundation grant to study the molecular mechanisms of presynaptic long-term plasticity and its implications in synaptopathy.

find the press release here