Symposia/Workshop programme

Techniques Workshop - Unravelling synaptic integration using conductance injection - the dynamic clamp

Synopsis

Organised by

Hugh Robinson (University of Cambridge, UK) and Vincenzo Crunelli (Cardiff University, UK)

Location

Hodgkin-Huxley Seminar Room (Physiology, Downing Site)

0845	Welcome and introduction – Vincenzo Crunelli
0900	Hugh Robinson (University of Cambridge, UK) Synaptic conductances and spike generation in cortical cells
0940	Stephen Williams (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK) The dendritic dynamic clamp – a tool to investigate dendritic synaptic integration
1020	Stuart Hughes (Cardiff University, UK) Using the Neureal system to probe the oscillatory dynamics of thalamic neurones
1100	Coffee
1120	John White (Boston University, USA) Interactions of intrinsic and synaptic mechanisms in the entorhinal cortex
1200	Thierry Bal (CNRS, France) Thalamocortical hybrid networks and an introduction to Active Electrode Compensation
1240	Lunch
1400-1615	Practical Sessions (Rooms A5 and A6 (Basement))

The afternoon session will be a hands-on practical session demonstrating several different conductance injection / dynamic-clamp systems, taking place in Rooms A5 and A6, in the Basement floor of the Physiology building.

Synopsis

Conductance injection, or dynamic clamp, is a way for physiologists to stimulate cells with an electrical current which duplicates the dynamical behaviour of ion channels in their membrane. It is increasingly used to study how neurons process their synaptic inputs, and how particular kinds of ion channels shape this crucial input-output relationship. This workshop highlights the latest scientific advances achieved with this technique, together with practical demonstrations of it in action.