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SUMMARY:EPFL BioE Talks SERIES  "Tools for Analyzing and Controlling Compl
 ex Biological Systems"
DTSTART:20201109T160000
DTEND:20201109T163000
DTSTAMP:20260307T002814Z
UID:3a7798e32f6b868b58f38ea98b2b8577c7ad8e6f6ef8e39587cd777b
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Prof. Ed Boyden\, Massachusetts Institute of Technology\, Camb
 ridge\, MA (USA)\nWEEKLY EPFL BIOE TALKS SERIES\n \n(note that this talk 
 is number one of a double-feature seminar - see details of the second talk
  here)\n\nAbstract:\nTo enable the understanding and repair of complex bio
 logical systems\, such as the brain\, we are creating novel optical tools 
 that enable molecular-resolution maps of such systems\, as well as technol
 ogies for observing and controlling high-speed physiological dynamics in s
 uch systems. First\, we have developed a method for imaging specimens with
  nanoscale precision\, by embedding them in a swellable polymer\, homogeni
 zing their mechanical properties\, and exposing them to water – which ca
 uses them to expand manyfold isotropically. This method\, which we call ex
 pansion microscopy (ExM)\, enables ordinary microscopes to do nanoscale im
 aging\, in a multiplexed fashion – important\, for example\, for brain m
 apping. Second\, we have developed a set of genetically-encoded reagents\,
  known as optogenetic tools\, that when expressed in specific neurons\, en
 able their electrical activities to be precisely driven or silenced in res
 ponse to millisecond timescale pulses of light. Finally\, we are designing
 \, and evolving\, novel reagents\, such as fluorescent voltage indicators 
 and somatically targeted calcium indicators\, to enable the imaging of fas
 t physiological processes in 3-D with millisecond precision. In this way w
 e aim to enable the systematic mapping\, control\, and dynamical observati
 on of complex biological systems like the brain.\n\nBio:\nEd Boyden is Y. 
 Eva Tan Professor in Neurotechnology at MIT\, an investigator of the Howar
 d Hughes Medical Institute and the MIT McGovern Institute\, and professor 
 of Brain and Cognitive Sciences\, Media Arts and Sciences\, and Biological
  Engineering at MIT. He leads the Synthetic Neurobiology Group\, which dev
 elops tools for analyzing and repairing complex biological systems such as
  the brain\, and applies them systematically to reveal ground truth princi
 ples of biological function as well as to repair these systems. These tech
 nologies include expansion microscopy\, which enables complex biological 
 systems to be imaged with nanoscale precision\; optogenetic tools\, which
  enable the activation and silencing of neural activity with light\; robo
 tic methods for directed evolution that are yielding new synthetic biolog
 y reagents for dynamic imaging of physiological signals\, such as neural 
 voltage\; novel methods of noninvasive focal brain stimulation\; and new
  methods of nanofabrication using shrinking of patterned materials to crea
 te nanostructures with ordinary lab equipment. He co-directs the MIT Cente
 r for Neurobiological Engineering\, which aims to develop new tools to acc
 elerate neuroscience progress.\n\n\n\nZoom link (with registration) for at
 tending remotely: https://go.epfl.ch/EPFLBioETalks\n\n\nIMPORTANT NOTICE: 
 due to restrictions resulting from the ongoing Covid-19 situation\, this s
 eminar can be followed via Zoom web-streaming only\, following prior one-t
 ime registration through the link above.
LOCATION:via Zoom web-streaming only\, due to Covid-19 situation https://g
 o.epfl.ch/EPFLBioETalks https://go.epfl.ch/EPFLBioETalks
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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