Anderson Lab ~ Available Projects

Introduction

We are currently offering projects in the following areas. Any one of these could developed as PhD, honours, AMS or 516-307 research project. If you are interested in any of these areas, please contact Colin. If have special interests that overlap with ours, then we could also develop a project to suit you.

Project 1: Developmental Neurobiology

We wish to look at developing sympathetic neurons in the embryonic rat and mouse to try and identify the molecules that are involved in generating the different subtypes of sympathetic neuron. We are particularly interested in investigating transcription factors such as those that are so important in establishing the different subtypes of ventral horn motoneurons. The other major group of molecules of interest are receptors for various neurotrophic factors. This study will involve learning the microdissection and histological techniques necessary to visualise sympathetic neurons in rodents, along with multi-label immunofluorescence techniques and confocal microscopy.

Sympathetic chain of E18.5 mouse stained for tyrosine hydroxylase (blue) and c-ret (green). Image © CR Anderson

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Project 2: Developmental Neurobiology

Developing sympathetic neurons are faced with the problem of projecting axons from the sympathetic chain to the wide variety of target tissues that are innervated by this part of the nervous system. The axons grow through the rapidly changing environment of the embryo, interacting with a range of tissues on the way. It is likely that a number of guidance mechanisms are used along the way. We are interested in the process of sympathetic axon extension and how the final matching of specific types of sympathetic neuron is made to the different types of target cell. This project will rely on fluorescence histochemical techniques and confocal microscopy and will also develop methods to study embryos in vitro for extended periods of time. This will allow experimental manipulation of the developing neuron and its environment.

Sympathetic ganglion in a developing rat embryo (E14.5). Sympathetic neurons (green) are beginning to form the grey ramus alongside the preganglionic axons (red) of the white ramus. Image © CR Anderson

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Project 3: Neurocardiology

The heart is innervated by two groups of sensory neurons. The first group are in the nodose ganglia and they project to the heart via the vagus. The second group are present in the thoracic dorsal root ganglia and project via the cardiac nerves to the heart. This project would identify the terminals of both these groups of neurons in the heart, using anterograde tracing techniques. The goal would then be to identify subgroups of the sensory neurons and relate each group tp specific targets within the heart. By this means, it should be possible to identify the function or sensory modality of each subtype of sensory neuron. An extension of this project would be to examine cardiac sensory neurons in aged animals, as there is evidence that some types of sensory neurons are lost during aging, leading to "silent" heart attacks.

Intrinsic neurons of the rat heart retrogradely-labelled with Fast Blue (blue) and stained for NPY (green) and substance P (red). Image © R. Richardson