EPFL BioEngineering Talks

Weekly BioEngineering Talks (Lunch Provided)

INVITED SPEAKER:

Molecular timekeeping in neurons: protein turnover, synaptic maintenance, and brain aging
Prof. Eugenio Fornasiero, University Medical Center Göttingen
Host: Prof. David Suter

Abstract:
Neurons are among the longest-lived cells in our body, yet they continuously renew their molecular components while preserving highly specialized structures and functions over a lifetime. How neurons balance molecular renewal with long-term stability remains one of the fundamental questions in cell biology.
In this seminar, I will discuss our efforts to uncover the principles of neuronal molecular maintenance by studying the dynamics, regulation, and spatial organization of proteins. Using quantitative approaches to measure protein turnover at the proteome scale, we reveal how the lifetime of neuronal proteins contributes to the preservation of synaptic identity and how these processes are altered during aging. I will further discuss how phosphorylation dynamics add an additional regulatory layer, controlling protein states and functional transitions within neuronal systems.
To understand how molecular dynamics translate into cellular architecture, I will present our development and application of advanced imaging approaches, including super-resolution microscopy and SUM-PAINT, to map the nanoscale organization of synaptic proteins with molecular precision.
Together, these approaches reveal neurons as dynamic molecular systems, where time, space, and regulation are integrated to maintain synaptic function across the lifespan. Understanding these principles may provide new perspectives on why neuronal maintenance fails during aging and neurodegeneration.

Bio:
Bachelor and Master in Medical Biotechnology; University of Modena, Italy, 2000 – 2005
Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology; San Raffaele, Milan, Italy and VIB, Leuven, Belgium, 2010
Postdoctoral fellow at San Raffaele Institute, Milan, Italy with Prof. Flavia Valtorta, 2010 – 2012
Independent Group Leader in the Department of Neuro-sensory Physiology, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany, since 2019

STUDENT SPEAKER:

Physiological responses of Clostridioides difficile to colonic mechanical force
Po-Long Hsiao, Persat Lab


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BioEngineering Talks mandatory EDBB Seminar Attendance (1st-Year PhD Students)

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• Attendance sheet to print HERE