Primate Retinal Circuitry
The vertebrate retina is a small portion of the central nervous system that lines the back of the eye. It is comprised of over 50 types of neurons neatly arranged in three cellular layers separated by two plexiform layers in which neuronal processes make the synapses that convey information from the external world to select areas of the brain. Through these synapses, a great deal of visual information processing takes place within the retina. The well established organization of the retina and its accessibility make it an ideal piece of the central nervous system for unraveling general principles of neuronal circuitry. In collaboration with the Marshak and Neitz labs, we are using software to annotate neurons and synapses in images obtained through serial block-face scanning electron microscopy and then to characterize and analyze the complex interactions among the different cell types of the primate retina. Unraveling these circuits will enable us to better understand how we see.
A fun introduction to connectomics research in the Ogilvie Lab
Photoreceptor Development and Degeneration
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a photoreceptor degenerative disease, is the leading cause of inherited blindness. The rd1 mouse is an animal model of RP with delayed photoreceptor development and early onset degeneration. Although the genetic defect in the rd1 mouse is known, the molecular signals that link it to rod photoreceptor cell death are poorly understood. A long term objective of our laboratory is to understand the molecular cascade of events required for differentiation of healthy photoreceptor cells and how defects in this cascade can lead to blindness. A better understanding of the molecular biology of photoreceptor development provides the potential for treatment of disease by altering molecular signals.
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