MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR MECHANISMS OF MEMORY

Prerequisites & course information

Requisites: Graduate/professional standing or ANAT&PHY 335 , 435 , PHYSIOL 335, 435 or ZOOLOGY/PSYCH 523 Course Designation: Core GenEd - Natural Science & Wellness + Lab Breadth - Biological Science Level - Advanced L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Grad 50% - Counts toward 50% graduate coursework requirement Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Fall 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Describe how the neural activity at the synapse which occurs during a memory-inducing event (a memorable event) leads to the ability to recall that event, when the animal or person does recall that event, either spontaneously or by prompting. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Apply a variety of biological techniques to understand the biochemical processes that are involved in memory. Learn the principles of these advanced techniqes and apply them appropriately to work out mechanisms. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Formulate why alterations in synaptic strength between neurons in an autoassociative network lead to the ability to recall an event which involved the activation of neurons in that network. This is the concept of pattern completion, which is the core of memory formation and is an incredibly important overall concept. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Succinctly present research proposals that are students' extensions of work that has been published, including a strong component of originality on the part of the student. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Formulate the basics of synaptic transmission mechanisms including presynaptic release of neurotransmitter and effects of neurotransmitter interactions with the post synaptic membrane on biochemistry and electrophysiology of the dendritic spine. These include unique properties of the dendritic spine including anatomy,biochemical composition. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 6. Formulate the concept of neural plasticity, the strengthening and weakening of transmission between presynaptic terminals and post synaptic dendritic spines. The realization that this occurs as the result of interaction between a large number of proteins. Describe the structure of the synapse in detail that includes the roles played by structural proteins and protein kinases and phosphatases in affecting synaptic strength. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 7. Describe the application of the use of advanced optical approaches such as FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer) and several others. Formulate how they reveal detailed information about the movements and alterations in properties of the key macromolecules that comprise the synaptic region. Formulate how information is derived from these measurements to explain events of synaptic plasticity. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 8. Formulate an approach using one or more of these techniques to answer an unresolved question regarding the mechanisms of plasticity. Audience: Graduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Describe how the neural activity at the synapse which occurs during a memory-inducing event (a memorable event) leads to the ability to recall that event, when the animal or person does recall that event, either spontaneously or by prompting. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Apply a variety of biological techniques to understand the biochemical processes that are involved in memory. Learn the principles of these advanced techniqes and apply them appropriately to work out mechanisms. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Formulate why alterations in synaptic strength between neurons in an autoassociative network lead to the ability to recall an event which involved the activation of neurons in that network. This is the concept of pattern completion, which is the core of memory formation and is an incredibly important overall concept. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Succinctly present research proposals that are students' extensions of work that has been published, including a strong component of originality on the part of the student. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Formulate the basics of synaptic transmission mechanisms including presynaptic release of neurotransmitter and effects of neurotransmitter interactions with the post synaptic membrane on biochemistry and electrophysiology of the dendritic spine. These include unique properties of the dendritic spine including anatomy,biochemical composition. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 6. Formulate the concept of neural plasticity, the strengthening and weakening of transmission between presynaptic terminals and post synaptic dendritic spines. The realization that this occurs as the result of interaction between a large number of proteins. Describe the structure of the synapse in detail that includes the roles played by structural proteins and protein kinases and phosphatases in affecting synaptic strength. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 7. Describe the application of the use of advanced optical approaches such as FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer) and several others. Formulate how they reveal detailed information about the movements and alterations in properties of the key macromolecules that comprise the synaptic region. Formulate how information is derived from these measurements to explain events of synaptic plasticity. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 8. Formulate an approach using one or more of these techniques to answer an unresolved question regarding the mechanisms of plasticity. Audience: Graduate