Chemical Constructions for Analysis & Discovery

In this webinar, Dr. Karl Deisseroth, discusses the principles and practice of a powerful new way of interacting with complex biological systems. Over the past 7 years, an in situ chemical synthesis approach to biological systems has emerged from his laboratory and has been further developed and applied around the world, in which functional materials are assembled within tissues such as the brain—either constructed throughout the intact tissue [hydrogel-tissue chemistry (HTC)], or genetically targeted to cell types [genetically targeted chemical assembly (GTCA)].

The resulting hybrid materials are endowed with diverse capabilities, including anchoring, and labelling of RNA and protein, in situ sequencing (as with STARmap), tissue transparency, reversible size changes (swelling/expanding or shrinking/contracting), and electrical insulation or conduction.

In this webinar we discuss the principles and practice of this powerful new way of interacting with complex biological systems, which involves reimagining and transforming the system with integrated optical, genetic, and chemistry methodologies.

Learning objectives:

• Learn about GTCA as well as HTC and its variants (including STARmap)
• Discover how 3D, intact-tissue RNA sequencing can lead to a greater understanding of brain physiology and behaviour
• Gain insight into how these techniques may help improve understanding of neuropsychiatric diseases