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The Hemmings Laboratory studies the effects of general anesthetics on neurotransmitter release, including glutamate, GABA, dopamine, norepinephrine, and neuropeptides. The lab investigates interactions with specific presynaptic proteins responsible for controlling neurotransmitter release at various levels, such as behavioral, network, cellular, and molecular, using animal models, cultured cells, neurons, brain slices, and isolated nerve terminals. Techniques employed include biochemical assays, imaging, and electrophysiological approaches. The Platholi Laboratory focuses on how anesthetics modulate activity-dependent signaling molecules such as BDNF and ion channels, contributing to prolonged pathological effects on synaptic plasticity. Their research strategies encompass pharmacological and molecular assays in cellular systems, functional calcium imaging, and behavioral studies in transgenic mouse models to identify how anesthetic-mediated disruptions in activity-dependent signaling interact with genetic variation, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases, influencing susceptibility to synaptic dysfunction.
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