Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Intact SynaPtic Imaging in REal-time

Project description

Fast and precise shots of synaptic activity

Incompatible optical and probe requirements in current technologies are blocking studies of fast dynamics with intra-synaptic precision. This is a major challenge for the real-time functional imaging of brain activities. The EU-funded InSpIRe project will address this challenge. It will develop an optical platform that allows real-time volumetric imaging of brain tissues with an intra-synaptic level of details thanks to a new optical scheme coupled to the photoswitching properties of recently engineered red-shifted probes. It will take advantage of rsFusionRed, a new palette of reversibly switching fluorescent proteins. As a proof of principle, it will study the dynamics of the endoplasmic reticulum, which are little known in synapses, and could show these with precision.

Objective

Modern fluorescence microscopy can provide rapid, real-time functional imaging of brain activities (light sheet) or to visualize with high definition and specificity the synaptic organization (super resolution, expansion). However, rapidity and precision are still too far apart to allow studies of fast dynamics with intra-synaptic precision mainly due to incompatible optical and probes requirements in current technologies. My aim is to fill this gap with the development of an optical platform, named InSpIRe, which allows real-time volumetric imaging of brain tissues with intra-synaptic level of details thanks to a new optical scheme coupled to the photo-switching properties of recently engineered red-shifted probes. InSpIRe will take advantage of rsFusionRed, a new palette of reversibly switching fluorescent proteins, which we recently introduced. The contrast and photo-resistance of rsFusionRed imaging will be increased with an optical strategy that uncouple the geometry of the illumination for switching and fluorescence excitation, which we demonstrated in our MoNaLISA microscope. In InSpIRe these concepts are brought to a new level to record volumetric dynamics in brain tissues without compromising resolution and speed. We will craft a new interference pattern, which optically imprint small-sub-resolved- volumes of rsFusionRed in the 3D tissues architecture. These volumes will be read-out with an oblique sheet of light to increase speed and minimize photo-bleaching. Unlike lattice light sheet we use one objective lens, which increases the slice accessibility and unlike STED/STORM the acquisition is faster. InSpIRe will record movies with molecular resolution without losing the larger neuronal architecture, which can shine light to open question in the field of organelles trafficking. As a proof of principle, we will study the dynamics of the endoplasmic reticulum, which are little known in synapses, and which we could, for the first time, show with precision.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2020-COG

See all projects funded under this call

Host institution

KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLAN
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 2 380 000,00
Address
BRINELLVAGEN 8
100 44 STOCKHOLM
Sweden

See on map

Region
Östra Sverige Stockholm Stockholms län
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 2 380 000,00

Beneficiaries (1)

My booklet 0 0