The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston was awarded $603,872 under the National Institute of Mental Health's Mental Health Research Grants program to develop tools and methods to map electrical synaptic connectivity in neural networks. The three-year project grant aims to image gap junction connectivity in electron microscopy datasets, estimate the size, strength, and plasticity of gap junctions, and determine coupling conductance through electrophysiological and modeling approaches. Specifically, the grantee will use confocal and 3D electron microscopy imaging to quantify gap junction proteins at the neuronal level. They will also obtain direct physiological measures of junctional conductance between coupled cells and compare them to maximum potential conductance calculated from morphological data. These studies seek to provide fundamental insights into the function of gap junctions in neuronal microcircuits. The award began July 15, 2021 and is scheduled to be completed by May 31, 2024.
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