FOMO – Functional study Of Myelin On chip

In the peripheral nervous system, Schwann cells (SCs) govern the neuron myelination which is critical for the propagation of action potentials. They constitute a key player in many neuropathies where treatments usually lead to poor functional recovery, and current physiological models present limitations. In FOMO, a postdoctoral candidate will adapt a recent thermoplastic microfluidic prototype compartmentalizing SCs-sensory neuron (SNs) co-culture for studying them on a functional level. The tailored microfluidic model of PNS sensory neurons will host embryonic dorsal root ganglia from GCAMP6+ mice presenting compatibility for calcium imaging. We will confirm the physiological relevance of myelination, demyelination and remyelination on both structure and function level and will assess the potential for pharmacological assays using standard drugs.