W03 - Glial interfaces: technology & methods to uncover the 4D glial role in brain function & dysfunction (09:00-11:30)

The past 4 decades highlighted the importance of glia, shifting the neurocentric vision of structure, function and pathology of nervous system to a more holistic perspective. In this view, the demand of technologies targeting the selective monitoring and control of glia is emerging as a challenge across Neuroscience, Engineering and Material Science.

This workshop aims to present the most promising advances in unconventional tools & methods, that enabled to reach unprecedented insights into the 4 dimensional (4D) nature of spatio-temporal neuron-glial interactions, in the healthy and pathological brain. Specifically, we will show how:

1. (bio)materials as silicon nanowire, graphene or hydrogels can provide transition from 2D to 3D models, mimicking in-vivo structure, where to study healthy or reactive glial cells in vitro
2. the use of nanostructured device allows stimulation and recording of astrocytes and neurons at different spatiotemporal scale
3. computational approaches and control theory can reverse-engineer neuron-glial interactions
4. combination of opto/chemogenetics, CLARITY and two-photon imaging reveals clues on significance of astrocytic domains in memory consolidation
5. photonic and spectroscopic methods uncover the signature of microglial cells in pain.

The forum, presented by scientists from 5 different countries, will provide a multidisciplinary perspective on tools, potentially enabling to extend our knowledge on cognitive functions, pain and Alzheimer diseases.