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SUMMARY:Luca Guglielmi-Modelling Neuronal Morphogenesis Across Species: a 
 Purkinje Cell’s Journey to Utmost Complexity\; Susannah McLaren-Spatiall
 y organised cell behaviours in morphogenesis and symbiosis - Luca Guglielm
 i\; Susie McLaren 
DTSTART:20251117T143000Z
DTEND:20251117T153000Z
UID:TALK236422@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Jia CHEN
DESCRIPTION:Name: Luca Guglielmi\n\nAffiliation: Postdoc at MRC LMB\n\nTit
 le: Modelling Neuronal Morphogenesis Across Species: a Purkinje Cell’s J
 ourney to Utmost Complexity\n\nAbstract:\n\nThe human cerebellum contains 
 approximately 80–90% of all neurons in the adult brain. During evolution
 \, its expansion contributed substantially to the remarkable size of the h
 uman brain and to the emergence of complex behaviours such as tool-making 
 and language. Species-specific differences are particularly evident in cer
 ebellar Purkinje cells (PCs)\, the largest and most elaborate neurons in t
 he human brain\, which display disproportionate dendritic complexity compa
 red to other species. However\, the mechanisms underlying PC scaling remai
 n poorly understood\, as reproducing advanced stages of cerebellar develop
 ment in vitro has remained a major challenge. By balancing self-organizati
 on with guided differentiation\, I have established a new in vitro model o
 f cerebellar development that enables the study of late gestational stages
  previously inaccessible. Under these conditions\, PCs undergo conserved m
 orphogenetic transitions across distinct developmental phases in vitro\, p
 rogressing on species-specific timescales that closely mirror in vivo traj
 ectories. By combining quantitative morphometry with cross-species compari
 sons\, I am investigating the human-specific mechanisms driving disproport
 ionate PC morphogenesis and their contribution to cerebellar growth and ev
 olutionary scaling.\n\nName: Susannah McLaren \n\nTitle: Spatially organis
 ed cell behaviours in morphogenesis and symbiosis\n\nAbstract: How do diff
 erent organisms interact to unlock new possibilities for life? The symbios
 is between cnidarians\, including corals and sea anemones\, and algae prov
 ides a striking example. Algae residing inside the host’s cells provide 
 key nutrients derived from photosynthesis\, enabling survival in nutrient-
 poor environments and unlocking the existence of the planet’s most biodi
 verse ecosystems - coral reefs.\n\nThis photosynthetic symbiosis is highly
  sensitive to the physical environment. Many symbiotic partnerships break 
 down under light and heat stress in an event called ‘bleaching’\, wher
 e algal symbionts are lost from the host. However\, some partnerships can 
 persist under environmental change\, raising the question - how do corals 
 and algae build a symbiosis for survival in a given environment?\n\nUsing 
 high-resolution imaging\, molecular biology approaches and physical pertur
 bations we are exploring how multicellular cnidarians and their single-cel
 led algal partners interact to build a symbiotic relationship as the host 
 develops from a ball of cells into an adult polyp. We reveal that symbiont
 s are not passively accommodated but dynamically patterned within the host
  during morphogenesis and show that this organisation can be remodelled un
 der environmental change. Overall\, our work aims to reveal fundamental pr
 inciples of how interacting organisms dynamically shape each other’s bio
 logy to survive in challenging ecological niches.
LOCATION:in person @PDN (Brayn Matthews in Physiology Building) and online
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