Expertise of applicants

  • Electrophysiology
    patch-clamp and extracellular field recording

  • Fluorescence Imaging
    calcium and sodium imaging in slices
    in vivo two-photon laser-scanning microscopy

  • Genetically Modified Organisms
    cell-specific gene recombination
    knockout and reporter expression

  • Transcriptomics/Proteomics/Metabolomics
    cell-specific RNA sequencing
    mass spectroscopy, proteomics

 

 

Coordination: Meetings and workshops

  • Annual symposium:
    - Reports on recent advances in the projects
    - Initiation of new collaborations
    - Meetings with associated partners of the Japanese glial community

  • Annual technical workshop:
    - 2-3 days for up to ten Ph.D. students/early-phase post-docs
    - address a particular technology or topic related to glial cell research
      (symposium and hands-on practical training)
    - proposals to be addressed at and evaluated by the Steering Committee

  • Support for individual meetings between research labs

 

 

Coordination: Promoting Collaborations

Installation of expert teams for distinct technologies

„Omics“:

Dieterich, Rossner
Establishment of a platform for high-throughput data by computational biologist
- user-friendly, manually curated database for cell-type specific transcripts and proteins
- use these data to direct further experimental work

GMOs:

Dimou, Wegner, Kirchhoff, Klämbt
Central management of common mouse lines (Kirchhoff)
http://www.networkglia.eu/en/animal_model   

 

 

Promotion of early career researchers

  • Networking & lab visits: 

  • organization of additional informal meetings by young researchers to share experiences and to foster networking
  • each young investigator should individually visit another laboratory within the Priority Programme at least once per funding period to learn new techniques, to profit from additional training in research methods and to enhance networking

  • SPP Start-up grant for young investigators:

  • 50.000 €/per funding period, 15.000-20.000 € per proposal
  • application deadline Oct 1, 2015
  • selection by steering committee, start Jan 2016
  • should enable preparation of own proposals
    (second funding period/other third party funding)

 

 

Compatibility of work and family life

  • special symposia funds (up to € 5.000) for young female postdoctoral researchers:
    organization of small meetings or workshops (or co-financing of symposia at national or international meetings)
  • child care at the annual meeting
  • support of pregnant young researchers to ensure continuation of critical lab work (e. g. by student helpers)

 

 

Public Outreach

  • organize and sponsor public lectures given in German and lay language at major meetings in Germany (NWG, VBIO)
  • “rent a scientist” for schools
  • selected topics of the SPP 1757 research will be published at www.dasgehirn.info