Projects
Study on the Neural Substrates of Auditory Social Cues during Vocal Learning using fMRI in the Zebra Finch Model. University of Antwerp
In search for molecular players underlying altered physiology and behavior caused by (neuro)endocrine disrupting compounds in zebrafish by differential peptidomics and proteomics. University of Antwerp
Optogenetic interrogation of the role of interneuron subtypes in age-dependent visual cortex plasticity in mice KU Leuven
The intrinsic capacity of the mammalian brain to recover from lesions early in life gradually loses strength and impact on brain function with age. Ocular dominance plasticity is one of the best studied examples of experience- and age-dependent modifications of visual cortical circuitry. Several interventions like dark exposure and GABAA receptor antagonist treatment have revealed how inhibitory synaptic transmission imposes limitations on ...
Vesicular recycling from the plasma membrane and disturbance of Ca2+ homeostase as determinants for alpha-synuclein induced cytotoxicity. KU Leuven
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in the Western world. Early studies mainly focused on the involvement of environmental factors in the development of PD. More recently, evidence is increasing that genetic factors also play a major role. The first gene identified to be associated with PD encodes for α-synuclein, an unfolded protein of 140 amino acids that is ubiquitously present in the brain. In ...
Virus-ïnduced mechanisms in the regulation of RNAi in insects. KU Leuven
The aim is the application of RNAi as a novel technology in crop protection to control pest insects in a modern agriculture that is also safe for the environment with beneficial organisms and pollinators.
Validation of the role of the cystine/glutamate antiporter or system Xc- in visual system disorders. KU Leuven
Glaucomatous optic neuropathies (GONs), a major cause of blindness in developed countries, are characterized by progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells and their axons, leading to visual pathway deactivation. The degenerative as well as plasticity mechanisms at the level of respectively retina/optic nerve and visual cortex, are tightly intermingled with proper/dysfunctional glutamate (glu) neurotransmission as well as oxidative ...
Ecological and evolutionary implications of oxidative stress in aquatic invertebrates: UV radiation as a model pro-oxidant. KU Leuven
All organisms face stress imposed by the production of damaging reactive oxygen species during metabolism, so-called endogenous oxidative stress (OS). Due to human activities, organisms are also increasingly facing OS imposed by external factors such as UV radiation and pollutants. Populations exposed to UV radiation evolve defence mechanisms to cope with OS. Recent insights indicate that OS affects the evolution of life history traits, such ...
Neuropeptidergic modulation of associative learning behavior in Caenorhabiditis elegans. KU Leuven
Vasopressin (VP) and oxytocin (OT) related neuropeptides are known as key regulators of both vertebrate and invertebrate physiology including osmotic balance and reproduction. In vertebrates, these neuropeptides have also been recognized for their modulation of social behavior and cognition, but the mechanisms by which this occurs are not fully understood. The worm Caenorhabditis elegans, a model organism in biology, exhibits a ...
Functions, epigenetic and downstream regulation of FLOWERING LOCUS C’s in the temperate cereal model Brachypodium distachyon KU Leuven
As plants are not mobile, they respond to the environment by changing how they grow. A typical example is the decision to flower and reproduce a next generation. In seasonal climates, winter has to pass before flowering can occur. This process of sensing and remembering winter has a considerable impact on grain yield for instance, because moderate winters will confuse plants and do not prepare them to flower in spring. In ...