Trial lecture
Time and place: December 11, 2023; 10:15 AM, Lille Fysiske Auditorium (V232) - Fysikkbygningen
Title: "Why model the brain? The benefits, limitations and future challenges."
Main research findings
Perineuronal nets are protein structures that encapsulate certain neurons in the brain. They have been linked to memory retention and proposed to have a barrier function, as well as affecting properties of the neuronal membrane. As technical and monetary restrictions may limit experimental efforts, simulations can help shed light on the nets’ function.On a shorter scale, diffusion inside the nets can be studied through coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. From this, the resistance of the nets can be derived, providing an estimate as to how good of a barrier the nets actually are.If the nets are good barriers, the distance between ions on the inside and outside of the cell increases, leading to a reduced capacitance. This change may affect how the neuron fires electrical signals. The capacitance enters as a parameter in models of entire neurons, along with conductances through channels in the membrane.In this thesis, Kine Ødegård Hanssen uses these tools to study properties of the nets. She finds that the nets restrict diffusion, but that their resistance is small compared to the membrane resistance. She simulates neurons with and without nets, and finds that a capacitance change alone cannot explain results found in the literature.
More details here.