Dr Janin Lautenschläger

Interests

I am interested in neurodegenerative diseases, in particular on processes at the synapse. A very recent concept in biology is the finding that synaptic proteins can undergo phase separation, forming condensed droplets in another liquid phase (like oil in water droplets). I have shown that alpha-synuclein, a synaptic protein involved in Parkinson’s disease, undergoes protein phase separation (Figure 1). Using in-vitro studies with recombinant proteins, cellular phase separation experiments and super-resolution microscopy in Lamprey reticulospinal giant synapses we aim to understand the role and function of alpha-synuclein in health, and in disease where protein phase separation might act as the initiator for protein aggregation, finally leading to the formation of the Lewy bodies characteristic for Parkinson’s disease.

Research Focus

Equipment

Cell culture

Confocal microscopy

Immunohistochemistry

Light-activated optoDroplets

Protein purification

Recombinant protein expression

Super-resolution microscopy