Seminar

Molecular characterization of TDP-43 function in vivo: cause or consequence of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?

Fabian Feiguin, PhD

Doctor Fabian Feiguin’s group is interested in understanding the mechanisms by which neuronal cells define and maintain axons different from dendrites and how these structures are progressively affected by degenerative diseases. For that they are using genetic, biochemical and histological approaches to identify the machinery involved in the formation of axons and dendrites in Drosophila sensitive neurons. They also utilize these tools to re-create human neurodegenerative diseases in flies. The expression of mutant human disease genes or targeting homologous genes in Drosophila confers a unique phenotype to the fly and with these fly models we are identifying the genes and mechanisms involved in progression or suppression of neuronal degeneration.