Robert Niescier
Associate Research ScientistAbout
Research
Publications
2025
All-optical visualization of specific molecules in the ultrastructural context of brain tissue
M’Saad O, Cairns A, Gulcicek J, Kasula R, Liao J, Kondratiuk I, Bewersdorf E, Kidd P, Falahati H, Gentile J, Niescier R, Watters K, Sterner R, Lee S, Guo X, Liu X, Desir G, De Camilli P, Rothman J, Koleske A, Biederer T, Kuan A, Bewersdorf J. All-optical visualization of specific molecules in the ultrastructural context of brain tissue. Nature Biotechnology 2025, 1-15. PMID: 41299044, DOI: 10.1038/s41587-025-02905-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchUltrastructural contextCellular organellesMolecular anatomyCell-specific antibodiesPostsynaptic densityAnatomical ultrastructureThree-dimensional contextNeuronal culturesImage volumesNeuronal circuitryProteinNanoscale distributionUltrastructureBrain tissue sectionsMolecular specificityTissue sectionsBrain ultrastructureSpecific moleculesBrain tissueOrganellesNeural connectionsA CRISPR activation screen reveals a cilia disassembly pathway mutated in focal cortical dysplasia
. A CRISPR activation screen reveals a cilia disassembly pathway mutated in focal cortical dysplasia. Science Advances 2025, 11: eaeb7238. PMID: 41160700, PMCID: PMC12571082, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aeb7238.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2022
Atypical nuclear envelope condensates linked to neurological disorders reveal nucleoporin-directed chaperone activities
Prophet SM, Rampello AJ, Niescier RF, Gentile JE, Mallik S, Koleske AJ, Schlieker C. Atypical nuclear envelope condensates linked to neurological disorders reveal nucleoporin-directed chaperone activities. Nature Cell Biology 2022, 24: 1630-1641. PMID: 36302970, PMCID: PMC10041656, DOI: 10.1038/s41556-022-01001-y.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2021
The Potential Role of AMPA Receptor Trafficking in Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Conditions
Niescier R, Lin Y. The Potential Role of AMPA Receptor Trafficking in Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Conditions. Neuroscience 2021, 479: 180-191. PMID: 34571086, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.09.013.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLong-term potentiationTrafficking of AMPA receptorsLow-penetrance genesAMPA receptor traffickingPost-synaptic surfaceTuning of neuronal connectivityIonotropic glutamate receptorsPost-synaptic areasAutism spectrum disorderAMPA receptorsGlutamate receptorsSurface traffickingTuberous sclerosisExcitatory connectionsNeurodevelopmental conditionsReceptor traffickingGenetic heterogeneityNeuronal connectivityRett syndromePost-synapseFragile X syndromeMolecular basisGenesReceptorsTraffickingRegulation of Neural Circuit Development by Cadherin-11 Provides Implications for Autism
Frei J, Niescier R, Bridi M, Durens M, Nestor J, Kilander M, Yuan X, Dykxhoorn D, Nestor M, Huang S, Blatt G, Lin Y. Regulation of Neural Circuit Development by Cadherin-11 Provides Implications for Autism. ENeuro 2021, 8: eneuro.0066-21.2021. PMID: 34135003, PMCID: PMC8266214, DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0066-21.2021.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNeural precursor cellsAutism spectrum disorderEtiology of autismCadherin-8Development of neuronal circuitryCadherin-11Postsynaptic density (PSD)-95Expression of cadherin-8Expression levelsNeuroligin-1Cortical neural precursor cellsKnock-outPluripotent stem cellsNeural circuit developmentFunction of cadherin-11KO brainHuman tissuesMouse brain developmentSynaptic activityNeuronal circuitryDendritic complexityRepetitive behaviorsExpression levels of cadherin-11Precursor cellsStem cells
2020
Development of a 3-D Organoid System Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Model Idiopathic Autism
Lunden J, Durens M, Nestor J, Niescier R, Herold K, Brandenburg C, Lin Y, Blatt G, Nestor M. Development of a 3-D Organoid System Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Model Idiopathic Autism. Advances In Neurobiology 2020, 25: 259-297. PMID: 32578151, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-45493-7_10.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchTomosyn regulates the small RhoA GTPase to control the dendritic stability of neurons and the surface expression of AMPA receptors
Shen W, Kilander M, Bridi M, Frei J, Niescier R, Huang S, Lin Y. Tomosyn regulates the small RhoA GTPase to control the dendritic stability of neurons and the surface expression of AMPA receptors. Journal Of Neuroscience Research 2020, 98: 1213-1231. PMID: 32133675, PMCID: PMC7216846, DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24608.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHigh-throughput screening of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived brain organoids
Durens M, Nestor J, Williams M, Herold K, Niescier R, Lunden J, Phillips A, Lin Y, Dykxhoorn D, Nestor M. High-throughput screening of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived brain organoids. Journal Of Neuroscience Methods 2020, 335: 108627. PMID: 32032714, DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108627.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSerum-free embryoid bodiesMulti-electrode arrayMulti-electrode array analysisSingle-cell calcium imagingHigh-content imagingBlockade of NMDARsHigh-throughput screeningStem cell platformsPhenotypic drug screeningExcitatory neuronsCalcium imagingProcessing speedCortical organoidsCellular compositionExperimental replicatesEmbryoid bodiesUnbiased analysisEfficient starting pointBlockadeOrganoidsComplex assaysDisease modelsPlatformDrug screeningNeurite outgrowth
2018
MCU Interacts with Miro1 to Modulate Mitochondrial Functions in Neurons
Niescier R, Hong K, Park D, Min K. MCU Interacts with Miro1 to Modulate Mitochondrial Functions in Neurons. Journal Of Neuroscience 2018, 38: 4666-4677. PMID: 29686046, PMCID: PMC6596018, DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0504-18.2018.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMitochondrial calcium uniporterMitochondrial movementMitochondrial transportMitochondrial CaMembrane proteinsN-terminusRegulation of mitochondrial transportOuter mitochondrial membrane proteinMitochondrial calcium uniporter complexMitochondrial functionMitochondrial Ca2+ uptakeMitochondrial calciumMitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) complexMitochondrial targeting sequenceMitochondrial membrane proteinOuter mitochondrial membraneN-terminal domainMitochondrial calcium levelsMitochondrial metabolic activityMitochondrial targetingMitochondrial membraneMiro1Target sequenceTransmembrane domainCalcium uniporter
2016
Dynamics of Mitochondrial Transport in Axons
Niescier R, Kwak S, Joo H, Chang K, Min K. Dynamics of Mitochondrial Transport in Axons. Frontiers In Cellular Neuroscience 2016, 10: 123. PMID: 27242435, PMCID: PMC4865487, DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00123.Peer-Reviewed Original Research