Neuroscience and Beyond

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Can Parkinson’s be detected years before symptoms appear, and can we slow it down early?
In this episode of Neuroscience and Beyond, we speak with Prof. Tiago Outeiro about the future of Parkinson’s research, from early diagnosis to prevention and emerging treatments.
We explore how misfolded proteins like alpha-synuclein spread silently through the nervous system, and how early signals - such as REM sleep disturbances - may reveal the disease long before clinical symptoms. The conversation also covers advances in biomarker technologies and new therapeutic strategies targeting protein aggregation, metabolism, and cellular clearance, highlighting where the field is making real progress today.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How alpha-synuclein aggregation drives neurodegeneration
Early warning signs like REM sleep behavior disorder
How biomarkers may detect Parkinson’s before symptoms
Why exercise is currently the most effective intervention
The role of metabolism, lipids, and protein clearance
New therapies: antibodies, GLP-1 drugs, and beyond
Why early diagnosis is key to successful treatment
Watch the episode to learn how Parkinson’s could be detected earlier and treated more effectively, and if you want to go deeper into the basics, check out our Episode 5 with Prof. Tiago Outeiro.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us for exciting neuroscience content.

🔗Link to our social media accounts: https://linktr.ee/neurosciencebeyond  
🔗Link to Episode5 withTiago Outeiro: https://youtu.be/UF4h07lml0M?si=78j0MwHFKiWuCcUI 

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction & Why Parkinson’s Detection Must Happen Earlier
00:01:10 What Is Alpha-Synuclein and Why It Matters
00:09:00 Where Does Alpha-Synuclein Accumulate in the Brain and Body?
00:16:30 Who Is at Risk? Genetics, Sleep Disorders & Early Warning Signs
00:20:10 Preclinical Symptoms: Loss of Smell, Constipation & Depression
00:27:00 Environmental Risk Factors: Pesticides & Neurotoxins Explained
00:33:10 Can Parkinson’s Be Prevented? Current Strategies & Limitations
00:34:00 Why Exercise Is the Most Effective Disease-Modifying Treatment
00:36:00 Monoclonal Antibodies: Do They Work for Parkinson’s?
00:38:00 GLP-1 Drugs & Metabolic Therapies
00:41:00 What Type of Exercise Actually Helps the Brain?
00:45:20 Why Combination Therapies Are So Difficult to Develop
00:49:00 Why Early Detection Is Critical for Successful Treatment
00:50:10 What Are Biomarkers? Understanding Early Diagnosis Tools
00:56:00 Future of Diagnostics
01:05:40 Lipids, Metabolism & the Hidden Drivers of Neurodegeneration
01:08:40 Where Should Research Focus Next?
01:14:30 Advice for Young Scientists & Clinicians
#Neuroscience #Neurodegeneration #Parkinsons #Alzheimers #Synuclein #BrainHealth #ProteinAggregation #Biomarkers #Neurobiology #Exercise #BrainHealthMatters #HealthyAging #NeuroProtection
Supported by the International Max Planck Research School for Neurosciences in #Göttingen, the European Neuroscience Institute, Cluster of Excellence Multiscale Bioimaging, as well as SFB1286

Neuroscience and Beyond team:
Svilen Georgiev
Kristina Jevdokimenko
Ahsen Konaç Sayıcı
Laura van Agen

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Why do journal names still shape scientific careers, and who pays the price?
Prof. Randy Schekman, a nobel prize laureate, discusses structural problems in #AcademicPublishing, including the pressure to publish in high-impact journals, rising #OpenAccess fees charged by commercial publishers, and long peer-review processes that can slow down scientific progress. He argues that the system can reward journal prestige over scientific contribution and may create inequalities when some researchers have access to additional funds to cover publication costs.
Prof. Schekman suggests that funding agencies and governments may need to negotiate firm caps on publication fees and reconsider how research quality is evaluated. He also emphasizes the role of society-run journals and the continued importance of peer review, alongside #Preprints.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for exclusive content and honest conversations about academic life.

 #academic #challenges #academia #science #ResearchFunding #AcademicCareers #PhDLife 

Supported by the International Max Planck Research School for Neurosciences in #Göttingen, the European Neuroscience Institute, Cluster of Excellence Multiscale Bioimaging, as well as SFB1286

Neuroscience and Beyond team:
Svilen Georgiev
Kristina Jevdokimenko
Ahsen Konaç Sayıcı
Laura van Agen

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How can we map the brain’s wiring at molecular resolution, and what are the realistic promises and limits of connectomics?
In this episode of Neuroscience and Beyond, we speak with Dr. Sven Truckenbrodt, group leader at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in Cambridge, UK), where his lab investigates #brain wiring at the molecular level. With previous research experience at ISTA Austria and E11 Bio, he works at the intersection of #ExpansionMicroscopy, molecular labeling, and scalable circuit reconstruction.
Beyond defining #connectomics, this conversation explores the technical, conceptual, and organizational challenges of mapping #NeuralCircuits at scale.
In this episode, we discuss:
Why synapses operate at the nanometer scale, and why this pushes imaging technology to its limits
How physical tissue expansion bypasses the diffraction limit of light #microscopy
Why whole-brain connectomes are rare “hero datasets” and what prevents comparative connectomics
How combinatorial neuronal barcoding could reduce manual proofreading in circuit reconstruction
Why new research models like Focused Research Organizations aim to close the gap between #academia and #industry. 

Timestamps
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:00 Dr. Sven Truckenbrodt’s research focus
00:02:20 How Small Is a Synapse?
00:05:20 How Can We See Synapses?
00:08:00 What Can Connectomics Realistically Reveal?
00:13:00 Connectomics With Electron Microscopy vs. Light Microscopy 
00:16:00  Expansion Microscopy
00:18:48  What Is Neuronal Barcoding?
00:26:00 Are Glia Part of Connectomics?
00:29:15  Does Expansion Microscopy Introduce Artifacts?
00:32:00  What Is E11 Bio and a Focused Research Organization?
00:38:45  From ISTA to Cambridge - Building a Lab
00:44:48  What Are Connectopathies?
00:54:00 Advices to Graduate Students

Read the most recent preprint here: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.26.678648v1
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us for exciting neuroscience content. Watch our new episode to explore how connectomics, expansion microscopy, and neuronal barcoding are reshaping our ability to map the brain at molecular resolution.
🔗Link to our social media accounts: https://linktr.ee/neurosciencebeyond  
Supported by the International Max Planck Research School for Neurosciences in #Göttingen, the European Neuroscience Institute, Cluster of Excellence Multiscale Bioimaging, as well as SFB1286
Neuroscience and Beyond team:
Svilen Georgiev
Kristina Jevdokimenko
Ahsen Konaç Sayıcı
Laura van Agen

Send a text
Why is it becoming harder to build a stable career in science?
Prof. Sauer reflects on structural pressures in academia: competitive #ResearchFunding, short-term contracts, and increasing administrative burdens. He discusses how evaluation metrics and grant systems shape career paths and may discourage long-term, high-risk research.
He highlights the need for sustainable funding structures and realistic career prospects for early-career scientists.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for exclusive content and honest conversations about academic life.
 #academic #challenges #academia #science #ResearchFunding #AcademicCareers #PhDLife 
Supported by the International Max Planck Research School for Neurosciences in #Göttingen, the European Neuroscience Institute, Cluster of Excellence Multiscale Bioimaging, as well as SFB1286
Neuroscience and Beyond team:
Svilen Georgiev
Kristina Jevdokimenko
Ahsen Konaç Sayıcı
Laura van Agen

Send a text
How do you see structures inside cells that are smaller than the wavelength of light? Why was the diffraction limit considered an unbreakable barrier for decades, and how did super-resolution microscopy change everything?
In this episode of Neuroscience and Beyond, we explore the frontiers of biological imaging with Prof. Markus Sauer, a pioneer of modern super-resolution microscopy. Prof. Sauer developed direct STORM (dSTORM), a technique that enables visualization of molecular organization at the nanometer scale. He leads the super-resolution microscopy lab at the Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, where his team continues to push the boundaries of cellular imaging.
We discuss how single-molecule localization microscopy works, what are the technical challenges that we had to overcome to see the nanometer molecular world, and how these methods are now central to research in neuroscience, immunology, and translational science. The conversation also explores expansion microscopy, quantitative imaging, and the challenges of interpreting increasingly detailed biological data.
This episode takes a closer look at how improved imaging reshapes our understanding of cells, and why higher resolution often leads to deeper questions.
In this episode, you’ll learn about:
Important barriers to brake in order to achieve super-resolution microscopy
The principles behind dSTORM and single-molecule localization
What super-resolution reveals about molecular organization in neurons and in the context of immunology
Expansion microscopy and its impact on modern cell biology
Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction & Episode Overview
00:02:10 Markus Sauer’s Path into Microscopy
00:08:40 What Is the Diffraction Limit and Why It Matters
00:12:30 The Idea Behind Super-Resolution Microscopy
00:15:20 How dSTORM Works at the Single-Molecule Level
00:30:00 From Physics to Biology: Applications of Microscopy
00:42:40 Expansion Microscopy
00:47:30 What is Next in Microscopy? What are the limitations?
00:54:00 Current Challenges and Future Directions

Subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us for exciting neuroscience content.
🔗Link to our social media accounts: https://linktr.ee/neurosciencebeyond

#Neuroscience #SuperResolutionMicroscopy #dSTORM #Microscopy #CellBiology #DiffractionLimit #ExpansionMicroscopy #Neuroimaging #SciencePodcast #Biophysics
Supported by the International Max Planck Research School for Neurosciences in #Göttingen, the European Neuroscience Institute, Cluster of Excellence Multiscale Bioimaging, as well as SFB1286

Neuroscience and Beyond team:
Svilen Georgiev
Kristina Jevdokimenko
Ahsen Konaç Sayıcı
Laura van Agen