A revised conceptual framework for mouse vomeronasal pumping and stimulus sampling.

The physiological performance of any sensory organ is determined by its anatomy and physical properties. Consequently, complex sensory structures with elaborate features have evolved to optimize stimulus detection. Understanding these structures and their physical nature forms the basis for mechanistic insights into sensory function.

TMEM16A and TMEM16B Modulate Pheromone-Evoked Action Potential Firing in Mouse Vomeronasal Sensory Neurons.

The mouse vomeronasal system controls several social behaviors. Pheromones and other social cues are detected by sensory neurons in the vomeronasal organ (VNO). Stimuli activate a transduction cascade that leads to membrane potential depolarization, increase in cytosolic Ca level, and increased firing.

Influence of Size and Cross-Linking Density of Microgels on Cellular Uptake and Uptake Kinetics.

The unique pH and temperature responsiveness of PNIPAM-based microgels make them a promising target for novel biomedical applications such as cellular drug delivery systems. However, we lack a comprehensive understanding of how the physicochemical properties of microgels relate to their interaction with cells. Here, we show that HEK293T cells take up PNIPAM-based microgels on a second-to-minute time scale.

Synchronous Infra-Slow Oscillations Organize Ensembles of Accessory Olfactory Bulb Projection Neurons into Distinct Microcircuits.

The accessory olfactory system controls social and sexual behavior. In the mouse accessory olfactory bulb, the first central stage of information processing along the accessory olfactory pathway, projection neurons (mitral cells) display infra-slow oscillatory discharge with remarkable periodicity. The physiological mechanisms that underlie this default output state, however, remain controversial.

A new microfluidic device design for a defined positioning of neurons .

A new triangle-shaped microfluidic channel system for defined cell trapping is presented. Different variants of the same basic geometry were produced to reveal the best fitting parameter combinations regarding efficiency and sensitivity. Variants with differences in the trap gap width and the inter-trap distance were analyzed in detail by Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations and in experiments with artificial beads of different sizes (30, 60, 80 m).