Department of Neurobiology, University of Osnabrück

News


NEW: Interview with Prof. Dr. Roland Brandt in MedWatch (October 13, 2023, in German):
Methylenblau - kein Wundermittel gegen Alzheimer.

ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION (August 28, 2023):
50 years of Tau: Lidia Bakota and Roland Brandt (2023) Why kiss-and-hop explains that tau does not stabilize microtubules and does not interfere with axonal transport (at physiological conditions). Cytoskeleton (online ahead of print).
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Interview with Prof. Dr. Roland Brandt in BIOspektrum (July 17, 2023, in German):
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PUBLISHED (June 19, 2023):
Christian Conze, Nataliya Trushina and Roland Brandt (2023) Molekulare Medizin: Live cell imaging zeigt, wie Tau den axonalen Transport ausbremst. BIOspektrum 04.23:365-368.
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INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF NEURODEGENERATION (June 1, June 5, and June 8, 2023):
(Announcement)

PUBLISHED (April 25, 2023):
Anna-Carina Söhnel and Roland Brandt (2023) Neuronal stress granules as dynamic microcompartments: Current concepts and open questions. Biol. Chem. 404:491-498.
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SPECIAL ISSUE IN BRAIN RESEARCH BULLETIN "Cytoskeletal Proteins in Health and Neurodegenerative Disease: Concepts and Methods" (April 20, 2023):
Sequel of the well-received special issue on "Cytoskeletal Proteins in Health and Neurodegenerative Disease” from 2016 focussing on emerging concepts and novel methods. Edited by Jürgen Götz (Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Australia) and Roland Brandt (Osnabrück University, Germany) (Editorial).

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PUBLISHED (January 7, 2023):
Marina Rierola, Nataliya I. Trushina, Michael Holtmannspotter, Rainer Kurre, and Lidia Bakota (2023) Lattice light-sheet microscopy and evaluation of dendritic transport in cultured hippocampal tissue reveal high variability in mobility of the KIF1A motor domain and entry into dendritic spines. Brain Research Bulletin 194:13-22.
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RECENT PREPRINT:
Luca Pinzi*, Christian Conze*, Nicolo Bisi, Gabriele Dalla Torre, Nanci Monteiro-Abreu, Nataliya I. Trushina, Ahmed Soliman, Andrea Krusenbaum, Maryam Khodaei Dolouei, Andrea Hellwig, Michael S. Christodoulou, Daniele Passarella, Lidia Bakota, Giulio Rastelli#, and Roland Brandt# (2022) Quantitative live cell imaging of a tauopathy model enables the identification of a polypharmacological drug candidate that restores physiological microtubule regulation. (bioRxiv) (*joint first authors) (#joint corresponding authors)

RECENT PREPRINT:
Marina Rierola, Nataliya I. Trushina, Nanci Monteiro-Abreu, Christian Conze, Michael Holtmannspötter, Rainer Kurre, Max Holzer, Thomas Arendt, Jürgen J. Heinisch, Roland Brandt and Lidia Bakota (2022) Tau and α-synuclein shape microtubule organization and microtubule-dependent transport in neuronal dendrites. (bioRxiv)

EUROPEAN INNOVATIVE TRAINING NETWORK (ITN) "TubInTrain":
The Department of Neurobiology is part of the EU-funded Innovative Training Network (ITN) "TubInTrain", an European Joint Doctorate whose mission is to provide a Double Doctorate level training programme, valid throughout all Europe. (Homepage of "TubInTrain")
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SCIENTIFIC PRESENTATIONS OF MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT:
- January 18, 2023: TubInTrain Training School 2: “Industrial Property Management”, Barcelona, Spain (S. Attanasio, N. Bisi, J. Kothuis).
- January 19-20, 2023: TubInTrain Workshop 6: “Ethics and Research”, Barcelona, Spain (S. Attanasio, L. Bakota, N. Bisi, R. Brandt, J. Kothuis).
- March 22, 2023: GBM Symposium "Protein aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases: cause or symptom?", Göttingen (R. Brandt: talk).
- March 28 - April 1, 2023: International Conference on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases and related neurological disorders, Gothenburg, Sweden (L. Bakota, R. Brandt, K. Tulva: Poster).
- April 27-28, 2023: Eurotau Meeting, Lille, France (S. Attanasio, N.I. Trushina).
- June 19, 2023: Symposium "Towards magnetic nanoparticle-assisted brain repair", International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr Universität Bochum (R. Brandt: talk).
- June 23, 2023: Annual academic celebration of the Department of Biology at the "Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau" (RPTU), Kaiserslautern (Festvortrag R. Brandt: „Was Bildgebung einzelner Nervenzellen über Alzheimer und das Altern verrät“).
- October 8-12, 2023: French-German Fall School: "Microtubules in Neurons", Frauenchiemsee (R. Brandt: talk; L. Singh: Poster).
- October 16, 2023: Final Conference: “Tuning Tubulin Dynamics and Interactions to Face Neurotoxicity: a Multidisciplinary Approach for Training and Research”, San Servolo, Venice, Italy (R. Brandt: talk).
- November 1, 2023: Neuroscience Seminars at the Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Australia (R. Brandt: (virtual) talk).
- November 16, 2023: Workshop: "Microtubules and Transport inside Neurons", Institut Curie, Orsay, France (R. Brandt: talk)


PUBLIC OUTREACH:
The Department of Neurobiology participates in the "Forschungsbörse" of the Ministry of Science and Education (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF).
University-school partnership "Neurobiologie macht Schule": School visits at the Gymnasium Martinum, Emsdetten (25.01.2023), at the Georgianum in Vreden (31.10.2023), at the Kardinal-von-Galen-Schule in Mettingen (4.12.2023), and at the Fürstenberg Gymnasium in Recke (13.12.2023); school visit from the Fürstenberg-Gymnasium, Recke (15.03.2023).
Panel discussion of the Herrenhäuser Forum: "Diagnose Alzheimer - Eine Herausforderung für die alternde Gesellschaft" (in German language), Hannover, March 23, 2023.

Basic Information


In 2002, a new Department of Neurobiology was installed on a lab space of about 200 square meters and a functional space of additional 100 square meters in the Institute of Biology at the University of Osnabrück. The Department belongs to the School of Biology/Chemistry and is associated with the Institute of Cognitive Science. The research of the Department focusses on the mechanisms of neural development and degeneration on the molecular, cellular and systemic level (Research Mission). Techniques include S1 and S2 cell and organotypic culture (including gene transfer with Sindbis and Lentivirus), laser scanning microscopy and quantitative image analysis, electrophysiology (extracellular recordings using microelectrode arrays), and breeding, genotyping and characterization of transgenic mouse lines. Teaching involves participation in the Bachelor program "Biologie", the Bachelor program "Cognitive Sciences", the Master program "Biologie/Biology - from Molecules to Organisms" and the Master program "Nanosciences - Materials, Molecules and Cells". The Department consists of three research groups (AG Bakota, AG Brandt and AG Jeserich (retired)). Every two years, members of the Department organize the Westerberger Herbsttagung. The Department is part of the Center of Cellular Nanoanalytics Osnabrück (CellNanOs).  


Departmental Seminars 2023


Seminar room Neurobiology (room 36-334)

Date Speaker and Title
Tuesday, January 17, 11 am (online)Test talk for PhD defense: "Imaging of Tau and Microtubules to Study Mechanisms of Tau Pathologies and Neurodegeneration" (C. Conze)
Tuesday, March 14, 11 am (in person and online)Yearly Safety Instructions: General lab safety, Biological safety (W. Hamann, R. Brandt)
Tuesday, March 21, 11 am (online)Twitter, Mastodon and others - Social networks in science (A.C. Söhnel)
Tuesday, May 16, 11 am (online)Meeting report: "AD/PD 2023", part 1 (L. Bakota)
Tuesday, June 13, 11 am (online)Meeting report: "AD/PD 2023", part 2 (K. Tulva, R. Brandt)
Tuesday, July 11, 11 am (online)Selected aspects of "good scientific practice": Pseudo-conferences and predatory journals: Why avoid them and how to identify them? (R. Brandt)
Coming soonFELASA Meeting report part 1: "Creating and maintaining genetically altered animals" (L. Bakota)
Coming soonFELASA Meeting report part 2: "Experimental design" (L. Bakota)

Attendance is mandatory for bachelor, master, doctoral and postdoctoral members of the Department and open to everybody.
Seminar language is English