SPECHT Christian

Thesis director (CRCN), NeuroBicêtre / DHNS, University Paris-Saclay

Synuclein diffusion analysis in neurons using event-based super-resolution microscopy (SEVEN)

My group at the University Paris-Saclay studies the molecular organisation and plasticity of synapses using super-resolution microscopy. We have implemented single-molecule imaging to determine the distribution and diffusion dynamics of synaptic proteins and to count copy numbers and packing densities. These data represent an important step towards quantitative imaging of the synaptic structure and the regulation of molecular interactions in living cells. In collaboration with Ignacio Izeddin and Clément Cabriel (Institut Langevin, PSL University), the current project explores a new imaging strategy to track the dynamics of alpha-synuclein at synapses during pathological processes.