Our Techniques

 Patch clamp recording is the technology to measure electric signal from single channel to single cell with elaborate glass pipettes. We can address the physiological change in neural network in synaptic level. Combining with optogentics, our lab study the synaptic plasticity of cell-type-, neural circuit- specific alteration in which modulates specific behavior.

 Optogenetics is the technology to modulate neuronal activity with light activated opsin. With optogentics, we can change the emotion and behavior by light with precise timing. For the technology, our lab setup the high-titer rAAV (recombinant adeno-associated virus) production, virus injection and surgical apparatus.

 Pavlovian fear conditioning is very classic behavior paradigm for learning and memory. The paradigm associates aversive unconditional stimulus (US, footshock) and conditional stimulus (CS, sound or light) to make animal predict US by CS. This is called fear conditioning. Our lab are interested in identifying the neural network and the function of the network on behavior.

 Non-contingent injection of drug is not sufficient to for animal to have symptoms similar to addiction patients. To make the rodent model for drug addiction, our lab setup the cocaine self-administration system. Animal can obtain the cocaine by nose-poking the whole and cocaine are administered to the vein of the animal. Using the system, we are able to research about extinction, reinstatement, and compulsive cocaine seeking behavior and its neural substrates.  

  Measuring large-scale neuronal ensemble is thought to be a better way to understand the network level of the brain. Also Integrating simultaneous neural activity with optogenetic manipulation in freely-behaving animals would empower clarifying causal link behavior and neural activity.  For this purpose, Our lab uses  Miniature-Microscope (including nVoke 2)  to simultaneous recording and minipulating neural activity in cell-type, circuit-specific manner.