University of Kent

5 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

Neuroscience

Electrophysiological Recordings from the Giant Fiber Pathway of D. melanogaster

Hrvoje Augustin¹, Marcus J. Allen², Linda Partridge¹

¹Institute of Healthy Ageing, and GEE, University College London - UCL, ²School of Biosciences, University of Kent

The Giant Fiber System is a simple neuronal circuit of adult Drosophila melanogaster containing the largest neurons in the fly. We describe the protocol for monitoring synaptic transmission through this pathway by recording post synaptic potentials in dorsal longitudinal (DLM) and tergotrochanteral (TTM) muscles following direct stimulation of the Giant Fiber interneurons.

Behavior

Holistic Facial Composite Creation and Subsequent Video Line-up Eyewitness Identification Paradigm

Josh P. Davis¹, Andreea C. Maigut¹, Darrick Jolliffe², Stuart J. Gibson³, Chris J. Solomon³

¹Department of Psychology, Social Work and Counselling, University of Greenwich, ²Department of Criminology, University of Greenwich, ³School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent

This applied experimental paradigm replicates circumstances by which an eyewitness to a real crime may create a holistic facial composite of the culprit from memory, and then attempt to identify the culprit from a video line-up containing the culprit or one in which he or she is not present.

Bioengineering

A High-Yield Streptomyces Transcription-Translation Toolkit for Synthetic Biology and Natural Product Applications

Ming Toh^1,2,3,4, Kameshwari Chengan⁵, Tanith Hanson⁵, Paul S. Freemont^1,2,3,4,6,7, Simon J. Moore⁵

¹Centre for Synthetic Biology and Innovation, South Kensington Campus, ²Department of Medicine, South Kensington Campus, ³Section of Structural and Synthetic Biology, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, ⁴Sir Alexander Fleming Building, South Kensington Campus, ⁵School of Biosciences, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Kent, ⁶UK Dementia Research Institute Care Research and Technology Centre, Imperial College London; Hammersmith Campus, ⁷UK Innovation and Knowledge Centre for Synthetic Biology (SynbiCITE) and the London Biofoundry, Imperial College Translation & Innovation Hub

This protocol details an enhanced method for synthesizing high yields of recombinant proteins from a Streptomyces venezuelae cell-free transcription-translation (TX-TL) system.

Biology

Optimized Production and Analysis of Recombinant Protein-Filled Vesicles from E. coli

Bree R. Streather¹, Karen Baker¹, Tara A. Eastwood¹, Daniel P. Mulvihill¹

¹School of Biosciences, University of Kent

The present protocol describes a detailed method for the bacterial production of recombinant proteins, including typically insoluble or disulfide-bond containing proteins, packaged inside extracellular membrane-bound vesicles. This has the potential to be applied to versatile areas of scientific research, including applied biotechnology and medicine.

Neuroscience

Neuronavigated Focalized Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Administered During Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Filip Niemann^*1, Alireza Shahbabaie^*1, Sven Paßmann¹, Steffen Riemann¹, Robert Malinowski¹, Harun Kocataş¹, Leonardo M. Caisachana Guevara^1,2, Mohamed Abdelmotaleb¹, Daria Antonenko¹, Felix Blankenburg^3,4, Rico Fischer², Gesa Hartwigsen^5,6, Shu-Chen Li^7,8, Michael A. Nitsche^9,10,11, Axel Thielscher^12,13, Dagmar Timmann¹⁴, Anna Fromm¹, Dayana Hayek¹, Ann-Kathrin Hubert¹, Andrew K. Martin^15,16, Alexander Hunold¹⁷, Agnes Flöel^*1,18, Marcus Meinzer^*1

¹Department of Neurology, University Medicine Greifswald, ²Department of Psychology, University Medicine Greifswald, ³Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, ⁴Neurocomputation and Neuroimaging Unit, Freie Universität Berlin, ⁵Wilhelm-Wundt-Institute for Psychology, Cognitive and Biological Psychology, Leipzig University, ⁶Lise Meitner Research Group Cognition and Plasticity, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, ⁷Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, ⁸Centre for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop, Technische Universität Dresden, ⁹Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, ¹⁰German Centre for Mental Health (DZPG), ¹¹Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Protestant Hospital of Bethel Foundation, University Hospital OWL, Bielefeld University, ¹²Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Amager and Hvidovre, ¹³Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, ¹⁴Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), Essen University Hospital, ¹⁵Department of Psychology, University of Kent, ¹⁶Kent Medway Medical School, ¹⁷Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics, Technische Universität Ilmenau, ¹⁸German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE Site Greifswald)

This protocol describes the method of neuronavigated electrode placement for focal, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) administered during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).