Finding differences between the genetic programs of embryonic neurogenesis, embryonic astrogliogenesis and adult astrogliosis. Recently, the team has developed a method to control the switch between neurogenesis and astrogliogenesis in vitro, thus permitting the investigation of the master genes controlling the switch. We will carry out longitudinal comparisons of the transcriptome of neural cultures under neurogenesis or astrogliogenesis, and the transcriptome of cerebral cortex under astrogliogenesis induced by experimental stroke. This approach will allow to sort out master genes of neurogenesis and to perform assays of astrocyte-to-neuron conversion in animal models of neurodegeneration induced by injury.

People: 

Fabrizio Tonelli PostDoc

Eleonora Crocco PhD student

Greta Ghiloni PhD student

Filippo Cancellotti, PhD student

Collaborations:

• CNR-IN – Claudia Alia, in vivo grafting of in vitro-generated mouse and human neurons.
• CNR-IBF – Angelo di Garbo, analysis of cortical neural network activity with MEA.
• CNR-ISTI – Giuseppe Amato, assays of synaptic potentiation in cortical neuronal networks by MEA.
• CNR-IFC – Milena Rizzo, analysis of miRNA expression during corticogenesis
• University of Nice Sophia Antipolis | UNS I Nice (France) – Michèle Studer, cortical organoids.