Research Groups
Dr. Sakmann, with physicist Erwin Neher, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1991 for their discoveries on single channels in cells, enabled by their invention of the patch-clamp technique. This ground-breaking technical achievement made it possible to examine, in real time, the operation of individual ion channel proteins. Ion channels are found in the membranes of virtually all cells and create selective pores across membranes that are vital for electrical signaling. Sakmann and Neher examined a broad range of cellular functions, eventually discovering the role that ion channels play in diseases such as diabetes, cystic fibrosis, several cardiovascular diseases and certain neuromuscular disorders. This technique forged new paths in the study of membrane physiology and the creation of novel therapeutics targeting ion channels. In fact, the Nobel Prize committee credited the two scientists with revolutionizing modern biology.
Research of the Digital Neuroanatomy group focuses on functional anatomy of circuits in the brain – specifically the cerebral cortex – that form the basis of simple behaviors (e.g. decision making). This research involves the use of large scale, high resolution microscopic techniques to reconstruct individual morphologies, distributions and synaptic wiring of different neuron types. Neurons are recorded from using in vivo and in vitro electrophysiological techniques. The results are used to simulate signal flow in an anatomically realistic network model. Eventually, this may reveal parts of the network that trigger sensory initiated behavior and lead to new discoveries about the brain's process of learning.
Furthermore, the research group is conducting a program dedicated to obtaining a three-dimensional map of the normal rodent brain. Different neuron types are labeled with specific fluorescent markers. Next, imaging and quantification of neuron distributions is achieved by 3D confocal mosaic microscopy and custom designed automated neuron detection software. This work will provide insight into functional architecture of entire cortical areas, and will thus lay the foundation for future studies on brain degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's.
