The role of mechanics in synchronised neuronal activity (C03)

• Subject Area: Molecular and Cellular Neurology and Neuropathology
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 460333672

C03 aims to use an in vitro model of epileptogenesis derived from rat hippocampus to investigate the mechano-biological aspects of neuronal circuit formation and function in mechanically tunable engineered matrices. We will focus on the interplay of structural, viscoelastic, and adhesive matrix material properties on the one hand and the formation of three-dimensional neuronal network topology, connectivity, and seizure-like hyperactivity on the other hand. We will test the hypothesis that mechano-chemical properties of the engineered tissue matrix can be precisely tuned to modify disease, which will provide the basis for the development of novel treatment approaches in epilepsy.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1540: Exploring Brain Mechanics (EBM): Understanding, engineering and exploiting mechanical properties and signals in central nervous system development, physiology and pathology
• Applicant Institution: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
• Project Head: Dr. Katja Kobow