Central to our investigations is the NMDA receptor complex (NRC/MASC), that is found at the synapses in the central nervous system (pictured) which constitute the functional connections between neurons. Changes in the receptor and associated components are thought to be in a large part responsible for the phenomenon of synaptic plasticity, that may underlie learning and memory.
G2C is addressing the function of synapse proteins using large scale approaches combining genomics, proteomics and genetic methods with electrophysiological and behavioural studies. This is incorporated with computational models of the organisation of molecular networks at the synapse. These combined approaches provide a powerful and unique opportunity to understand the mechanisms of disease genes in behaviour and brain pathology as well as provide fundamental insights into the complexity of the human brain.
