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Thompson-Peer Lab
Research
Our lab is interested in a variety of topics surrounding how neurons respond to dendrite injury. We study in-vivo dendrite regeneration of peripheral neurons in the fruit fly. The 2-photon laser injury assay allows us to precisely injure dendrites and track regeneration, of the same neuron, over several days. We are particularly interested in:
(1) Injury induced signaling pathways, that mechanistically explain how regeneration happens. (How do neurons regenerate as well as they do?)
(2) Developmental and tissue-derived constraints that limit regeneration. (Why is regeneration imperfect?)
Within these broad topics, we have current projects on
chromatin remodeling and neuronal plasticity in dendrite regeneration,
calcium signaling immediately after dendrite injury,
organelle trafficking in regenerating neurons,
the role of canonical regeneration pathways in dendrite regeneration specifically,
developing new methods to injure dendrites,
and more!
Eventually we'd like to expand our understanding of dendrite regeneration to other systems too.
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