About
Inmed
INMED is a multidisciplinary institute that belongs to the French
Medical Research council (INSERM). Inaugurated last year, Inmed
is
constituted by 11 research teams with all the facilities required
to
perform post genomic studies on brain development and synaptic
plasticity, neuronal oscillations and neurological disorders
including
epilepsies, migration disorders, Parkinson disease, ischemic
insults
and motoneuron disorders notably ALS. The principal aims
are to
foster research on the impact of neuronal activity and receptor
activation on brain development and neuronal disorders.
Common facilities
Animal facilities rats and
mice, transgenic facilities with the required
expert technicians.
In vivo recordings including patch clamp and multiunit
recordings,
culture rooms and transfection facilities, dissociated and slice
cultures, 10 patch clamp set ups including 5 visual patch set
ups, 3
bi photon microscopes including 2 dynamic ones, one confocal
microscope, ensemble of microscopes for neuronal reconstructions,
molecular biology tools and equipments, animal models of cerebro
vascular infarcts, epilepsies, dysplastic cortex, in vivo and in
vitro
transfections including in utero transfections, time lapse
microscopy,
resected epileptic human slice cultures and patch recordings.
Technical laboratory help is available as well as administrative
work
made by a centralised board.
Organisation
The principles of
operation of INMED are organised in order to
facilitate as much as possible the interactions between teams and
the
dissemination of observations and techniques amongst its members.
A
unique range of competences have been gathered with a common
general
aim: to study with all available techniques the physiologic and
pathogenic operation of synapses and networks with a strong hold
around electrical and imaging techniques as well as in vitro and
in
vivo transfections??㮯tably in utero-. Researchers can
perform their
independent research yet when needed they can easily find and
expert
in the required domain or perform a series of collaborative
experiments with a complementary team. With this organisation, we
have
for instance been able to perform the first recordings and
neuronal
reconstructions of primate central neurons in utero (Khazipov et
al
Jneurosc) or more recently record neuronal activity from human
dysplastic cortices notably with imaging techniques.
Selected researchers will have a budget allotted by INSERM (60 to
80000 E) that combined with the access to INMED facilities
enables to
do well as far as small equipment and ongoing research are
concerned.
Grants for special equipments are however required and there are
several sources for that purpose.
Team leaders
i)
Yezekiel Ben-Ari - with Ilgam Khalilov and Yuri Zilberter
Topics and
preparations: Excitatory actions of GABA in development,
seizures beget seizures, synaptic efficacy and seizures,
oscillations
and long- term actions of seizures.
The interconnected intact hippocampi and neocortices, paired
recordings, mathematical analysis of oscillations, single channel
recordings in
slices and in toto.
Recent papers:
- Khalilov et al,
Neuron in press, Khalilov etal, Nature Neuroscience,
- Ben-Ari, Nature
Neuroscience review
- Korngreen et al,
J Physiol,
- Zilberter et al,
Neuroscientist
ii) Rustem
Khazipov
Topics: neuronal patterns
of developing circuits, role
of activity in the
formation of networks, formation of cortical maps.
Techniques and preparations: patch recordings in vivo and in vitro,
intact complex ensembles of structures to study the propagation
of
patterns, mathematical analysis of patterns, multi unit
recordings in
chronic recordings in pups.
Recent
papers:
Khazipov et al, Nature
Leinekugel et al, Science
iii) Rosa
Cossart and Valerie Crepel
Topics
Techniques and preparations
Recent papers
iv)
Alfonso Represa and Laurent Anikstejn
Topics and preparations :
study the properties of migrating and
immature neurons including the recently discovered paracrinic
action
of non vesicular release of GABA and glutamate, determine their
effects on migration and the actions of widely used agents and
treatments ??㮯tably antiepileptic regimen ??㠯n that migration and
its
consequences on migration disorders; slice cultures,
transfections in utero and in vitro,
anatomical
techniques, recording from migrating neurons and time lapse
pictures
Recent
papers:
- Manent etal, J
Neurosc
- Demarques et al,
Neuron.
v) Igor Medina
Topics and
preparations: role of the co transporter KCC2 on GABA
actions in developing neurons and slices, effects of early
expressions
of the genes on neuronal behaviour, role of the ERK link to NMDA
receptors in neuronal damage and development.
Recent
papers:
- Krapivinsky I, Neuron
- Chudotorova I, J
Physiol
vi)
Georges Haase
Topics: Role of mutant SOD1, ALSIN or TBCE in motoneuron disease.
Signaling pathways leading to degeneration of motoneuron cell bodies and
axons. Methods: Gene overexpression and siRNA-mediated knockdown, FACS,
live imaging in mouse models.
Recent papers
- Martin et al, Nature genetics 2002
- Haase et al , Neuron 2002
- Raoul et al, Neuron 2002
vii) Constance Hammond
Topics and preparations: role of network oscillations on the
behaviour
of basal ganglia operation in health end disease, mechanisms of
actions of subthalamic stimulations in relation to Parkinson
disease.
Electrophysiological Slices studies, dynamic imaging and
anatomical
techniques
Recent
paper
- Garcia et al TINS, J
Neurophysiology 2005
viii)
Jean Luc Gaiarsa
Topics and
preparations : Role of activity in network construction,
role of GABAergic synapses and growth factors in maturation of
the
circuit.
Intact hippocampi in vitro, slice work and electrophysiological
techniques, neuronal reconstruction,
Recent
papers:
- Tosetti et al J
Physiol
- Gubellini et al J
Neurosci
ix) Piotr
Brest
Topics and
preparations: Role of calcium in the modulation of spinal
chord glycine receptors , imaging with genetic tools chloride
fluxes
and glycine receptor activity.
Spinal chord slices and neuronal cultures, molecular biology, imaging
techniques
Recent
papers
- Mukhtarov et al, J
Phsyiol
- Diana et al, Cell
calcium
x) Henri
Gozlan
Topics and preparations:
seizures in the developing brain, role of
oscillations, animal in vitro models of epileptogenesis, role of
canabinoid receptors in early seizures and activity
Slices and intact hippocampi, electrophysiological recordings
Recent
paper
xi) Slavica
Krantic
Topics and
preparations: Molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration,
caspase-independent programmed cell death in neurons, link
between
oxidative stress and cell cycle re-initiation and their relevance
for
neuronal death
Primary cortical and hippocampal cultures, neuronal cell lines,
animal
models of neurodegenerative disorders
Recent papers:
- Krantic et al TINS
- Fombonne et al
Apoptosis
- Reix et al Neurobiol
Aging
4th INMED/TINS
CONFERENCE
Nature and
Nurture in brain development and neurological disorders.
4th to 7th September 2005 - La Ciotat, France
Reprints and
information on the INMED/TINS meeting of La Ciotat :
English:
inmednet.com
French:
officialinmed.com
Inmed Journal
Hippocrate
Inmed: Ecole d???ute;té de neurobiologie pour les
médecins
Summer school for
residents inmednet.com/Hippocrate.html
Candidates must write to:
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