Molecular brain imaging with engineered vasoactive probes

• Applicant: Dr. Robert Ohlendorf
• Subject Area: Molecular Biology and Physiology of Neurons and Glial Cells ; Biochemistry
• Term: from 2018 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 392197664

We propose a novel noninvasive neuroimaging approach capable of mapping molecular events in the brain. Our strategy is based on a fundamentally new type of imaging probe that hijacks the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) effect and manipulates endogenous hemodynamic contrast in the brain in response to neuronal messenger molecules. In this way we combine the functional specificity of optical imaging with the noninvasiveness and whole-brain coverage of clinically applied functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), while exploiting a sensitive contrast mechanism capable of detecting molecular analytes at nanomolar concentrations. We start out by designing glutamate-sensing probes to reveal the neurotransmitter dynamics in the healthy and diseased brain. The method is adaptable to diverse messenger molecules in the brain. In combination with its sensitivity and spatiotemporal resolution it could ultimately revolutionize the investigation of signaling pathways in the animal and human brain to identify molecular determinants underlying neurological dysfunction.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: USA
• Host: Professor Alan Jasanoff, Ph.D.