Is there a quantal basis of signal reception at the synapse?
The nanoscale localization and real-time "active or passive" mobility has a direct effect on the synaptic transmission at short term which ranges from milliseconds to seconds. Our laboratory investigates this localization and mobility at by observing localization and trafficking single molecules/particles of interest. Single particle tracking in combination with super-resolution imaging paradigms allows us to perform routine imaging at a resolution of 10-100nm which links the ultrastructure to functional association molecules to subsynaptic compartments. Thus, observing 1000s of individual single molecules at nanometer resolution will enable us to overcome the inadequacy of ensemble methods of microscopy which are conventionally used to understand the synaptic organization. We further improve this paradigm with an ability to manipulate single synapses using optogenetic approaches or uncaging of chemicals like neurotransmitters or second messengers. Here we intend to understand nanoscale organization and recycling of AMPA receptors at excitatory synapses and deduce the basis of postsynaptic signal reception during fast synaptic transmission