Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

5 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

Neuroscience

Two Algorithms for High-throughput and Multi-parametric Quantification of Drosophila Neuromuscular Junction Morphology

Anna Castells-Nobau^*1, Bonnie Nijhof^*1, Ilse Eidhof¹, Louis Wolf², Jolanda M. Scheffer-de Gooyert¹, Ignacio Monedero^3,4, Laura Torroja³, Jeroen A.W.M. van der Laak^2,5, Annette Schenck^*1

¹Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, ²Microscopical Imaging Centre (MIC), Radboud University Medical Center, ³Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, ⁴Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, ⁵Department of Pathology, Radboud University Medical Center

Two image analysis algorithms, "Drosophila NMJ Morphometrics" and "Drosophila NMJ Bouton Morphometrics" were created, to automatically quantify nine morphological features of the Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ).

Chemistry

Microfluidic-based Synthesis of Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs): A Tool for Continuous Production of COF Fibers and Direct Printing on a Surface

Afshin Abrishamkar¹, David Rodríguez-San-Miguel², Jorge Andrés Rodríguez Navarro³, Romen Rodriguez-Trujillo⁴, David B. Amabilino⁵, Ruben Mas-Ballesté², Félix Zamora^2,6,7, Andrew J. deMello¹, Josep Puigmarti-Luis¹

¹Institute of Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Bioscience, ETH Zurich, ²Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, ³Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Universidad de Granada, ⁴Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), ⁵School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, ⁶Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFMAC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, ⁷Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados en Nanociencia (IMDEA Nanociencia)

We present a novel microfluidic-based method for synthesis of covalent organic frameworks (COFs). We demonstrate how this approach can be used to produce continuous COF fibers, and also 2D or 3D COF structures on surfaces.

Environment

BtM, a Low-cost Open-source Datalogger to Estimate the Water Content of Nonvascular Cryptogams

María Leo^*1, Angel Lareo^*2, Carlos Garcia-Saura², Joaquín Hortal^3,4, Nagore G. Medina⁵

¹Real Jardín Botánico (CSIC-RJB), ²Grupo de Neurocomputación Biológica, Dpto. de Ingeniería Informática, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, ³Department of Biogeography and Global Change, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), ⁴Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, ⁵Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia

We present a simple and cost-effective method to build an open-source datalogger that measures the conductance of nonvascular cryptogams together with the environmental temperature and humidity. We describe the hardware design of the datalogger and provide step-by-step assembly instructions, the list of required open-source logging software, the code to run the datalogger, and a calibration protocol.

Immunology and Infection

Imaging the Human Immunological Synapse

Ana Bello-Gamboa^*1,2, Juan Manuel Izquierdo^1,2, Marta Velasco^1,2, Solange Moreno^1,2, Alejandro Garrido^1,2, Laura Meyers^1,2, Juan Carlos Palomino³, Víctor Calvo^1,2, Manuel Izquierdo^*1,2

¹Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols, CSIC-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, ²Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols CSIC-UAM, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, ³Unidad de Audiovisuales, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

This protocol images both the immunological synapse formation and the subsequent polarized secretory traffic towards the immunological synapse. Cellular conjugates were formed between a superantigen-pulsed Raji cell (acting as an antigen-presenting cell) and a Jurkat clone (acting as an effector helper T lymphocyte).

Neuroscience

Coculture of Axotomized Rat Retinal Ganglion Neurons with Olfactory Ensheathing Glia, as an In Vitro Model of Adult Axonal Regeneration

María Portela-Lomba^1,3, Diana Simón¹, Cristina Russo², Javier Sierra¹, María Teresa Moreno-Flores³

¹Facultad de CC Experimentales, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, ²Dept. Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Physiology, University of Catania, ³Dept. Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

We present an in vitro model to assess olfactory ensheathing glia (OEG) neuroregenerative capacity, after neural injury. It is based on a coculture of axotomized adult retinal ganglion neurons (RGN) on OEG monolayers and subsequent study of axonal regeneration, by analyzing RGN axonal and somatodendritic markers.