Research project: synaptic density in depression with immunofluorescence

Much remains unknown about what exactly happens in the brain of someone who experiences a major depressive disorder (MDD). One theory is that a loss in neuroplasticity or synaptic density underlies MDD. So far, however, there have been few studies that have tried to directly quantify synaptic density in people suffering from MDD.

In this project, you will help doing this in brain tissue of donors of the Netherlands Brain Bank who suffered from MDD. Using immunofluorescent stainings and high-resolution microscopy, you will quantify synaptic markers in the human postmortem tissue and compare the results to those of controls without MDD. At a later stage other molecular techniques might be involved as well. Your exact day-to-day activities can be further fine-tuned based on your own preferences and interests.

Overview of techniques that will be used: immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy or STED microscopy, and synapse counting using automated algorithms or potentially AI models. At a later stage, other quantitative techniques, such as ELISA or western blot might also be included, depending on the progress of the project.

This internship is open to any master’s students with a background in molecular neuroscience. Master’s students with other backgrounds (e.g. biomedical sciences or other similar programmes) but interest in molecular neuroscience may also be considered depending on prior experience and relevant coursework. The minimum duration of the internship is 6 months, longer is also possible. Interested? E-mail your CV and a short motivation letter to j.heemskerk@nin.knaw.nl. Please also mention your desired starting date and internship duration.

You will be part of the neuroimmunology group of Inge Huitinga (https://nin.nl/research-groups/huitinga/). This project is also a part of the iCNS consortium (https://i-cns.nl/).