Synaptic development in the nematode brain
During development, neurons contact many potential synaptic partners, yet connect only to a selected subset. What are the the cellular and molecular mechanisms that instruct this precise...
Welcome to the Colón-Ramos Lab
Overview
A fundamental question in neuroscience is how synapses are assembled in living animals to produce behaviors and store memories. Our lab is focused on this question and uses the nematode C. elegans to examine the cell biological mechanisms by which synapses are precisely assembled during development, maintained during growth and modified during learning to store memories.
Projects
We can scrutinize the interplay between the cell biology of the synapse and behavior at three levels:
Maintenance of synaptic positions and function
After synapses are specified, their relative positions and functional properties must be maintained to ensure proper circuit function. What are the mechanisms that maintain synaptic...
Modifying the architecture to form memories
During certain behaviors, experiences persist as memories. How does the cell biology of the synapse encode memories?
