News
May 14
Treating Parkinson's disease by genetic therapy
New NIH grant for the Memory Circuits lab, to study Parkinson's Disease
Our colleague Mazahir T. Hasan (Ikerbasque Research Professor and Group at ACHUCARRO) and Prof. Dr. Thomas Wichmann of Emory University, (Georgia, USA) have been awarded an exploratory grant by the National Institute of Health (USA), to develop a research project entitled, "Chemogenetic manipulation of neurons and astrocytes in the subthalamic nucleus to treat parkinsonism".
May 1
The interinstitutional group of researchers published the fast SARS-CoV-2 detection protocol based on RNA precipitation and RT-qPCR in nasopharyngeal swab samples
Fruit of the altruistic work of researchers from Basque academic and research organizations
The group of researchers that voluntarily set a task force in response to the Covid-19 crisis in the Basque Country have published the protocol they have developed.
This alternative detection protocol, based on PCR equipment and the use of standard reagents is a solid alternative to commercial kits, which were either not available at the time of the pandemic, or had very limited detection capabilities.
Abr 12
Publicado el protocolo desarrollado por el grupo inter-institucional para el diagnóstico del Covid-19
Publicado en abierto, y en multitud de idiomas, para que otros centros y laboratorios lo puedan replicar.
El personal investigador de la UPV/EHU, Ikerbasque, ACHUCARRO, Fundación Biofisika Bizkaia, junto a los institutos de investigación sanitaria BioCruces Bizkaia y BioAraban han hecho público hoy el protocolo que han desarrollado para poder desarrollar diagnósticos del Covid-19, basándose en RT-PCR.
Mar 27
Special issue on super-resolution microscopy in Methods
Jan Tønnesen has guest edited an issue compiling review and original papers on progress in super-resolution microscopy
The Group Leader of the Laboratory of Neuronal Excitability, Jan Tønnesen has guest edited a new issue of Methods, compiling review and original papers on progress in super-resolution microscopy from established and emerging leaders in the field.
Jan 14
Life after (neuronal) death
A study led by the researchers of our centre shows that microglia is a sensor of newborn neuron death and maintains the equilibrium between life and death
Neuronal death, commonly associated with brain aging and disease, also affects young neurons. During brain development, newborn neurons undergo programmed cell death, a sort of cellular suicide called apoptosis. To avoid becoming a cemetery, the brain has a highly effective patrol of cellular watchers that rapidly eliminate the corpses, the microglia, through a process named "phagocytosis".
However, phagocytosis is not merely a passive removal of debris, as shown by a recent study led by Jorge Valero and Amanda Sierra, from ACHUCARRO, IKERBASQUE and and the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). On the contrary, dead neuron phagocytosis is an active process that directly affects the health and the function of the surrounding neurons.