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HTMLText_8707B660_9295_53B9_41DF_80BD58FE823D.html = Medical Science Precinct
The Medical Science Precinct is home to the School of Medicine, Menzies Institute for Medical Research and the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre. Levels 1 and 2 foyer areas of the building are open to the public and feature displays of over 1,500 artefacts recovered from the site during the preparation stage. These record an interesting history of the site dating from 1825.
The Medical Science Precinct was constructed in two sections. Medical Science 1 features abstract design references to mountains, water, and cells, particularly in the façade and entry design, giving the building a distinctive urban iconography. The contour form for the sun-shading elements of Medical Science 2 is based on the idea of Hobart's topography.
General Research
In the laboratory we are using human tissue and model systems to try to work out why nerve cells degenerate in diseases such as those that cause dementia and motor neuron disease. We aim to identify ways in which we can slow neurodegeneration through use of preventative or drug strategies and to perform preclinical testing of novel drugs treatments. To do this we are using molecular, biochemical and histological techniques combined with genetic engineering and multiphoton microscopy. We are also using ultra-sensitive technologies capable of single molecule analysis of proteins in the blood to develop blood tests that can identify adverse changes in the brain while a person is still alive and enable early intervention strategies.
Click the play button to the right of screen to get a glimpse!
Multiphoton Room
The multiphoton microscope allows us to look deep inside living tissue, and image cells in the intact brain. It uses an infrared laser to scan deep inside the tissue without harming it. We use this system to image neurons in the cortex at high resolution, particularly the connections between the neurons, known as synapses. These connections change and "rewire" over time as we learn and adapt – this is called PLASTICITY. This microscope actually allows us to directly image these changes over time (hours/days/weeks). We are using it to study changes in synaptic plasticity during ageing and Alzheimer's disease.
Level 4 Common Room
Through to Wicking Dementia Centre Research and Education
Located in the Medical Science Precinct, the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre is a global leader in dementia research and the largest provider of dementia education. Our aim is to help you develop specialised knowledge in this field so that you can make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia.
Primary Cell Culture Room
In this room we mainly work with primary cell cultures. Our group is focussed on dementia research and so we grow brain cells including the nerve cells (neurons) and supporting cells (glia). By modelling disease conditions in our cultures, for example by treating the cells with a drug that induces some disease state, we can learn more about disease processes and determine how we might use this information to find interventions to help make improvements.
Electrophysiology Room
In this room we investigate the electrical activity of cells. Most of the time we are researching the electrical activity of nerve cells (aka neurons) in slices of brain or nerve cells grown in a dish, but we also do research on other types of cells too. Electrical activity is very important for nerve cell function, and we can perform experiments to learn about how nerve cells in different parts of the brain behave, and also how nerve cell behaviour is altered by diseases, disorders and drugs. We can also do experiments to get information about the connections between nerve cells and how they behave in networks.
In the laboratory we are using human tissue and model systems to try to work out why nerve cells degenerate in diseases such as those that cause dementia and motor neuron disease. We aim to identify ways in which we can slow neurodegeneration through use of preventative or drug strategies and to perform preclinical testing of novel drug treatments. To do this we are using molecular, biochemical and histological techniques combined with genetic engineering and multiphoton microscopy. We are also using ultra-sensitive technologies capable of single molecule analysis of proteins in the blood to develop blood tests that can identify adverse changes in the brain while a person is still alive and enable early intervention strategies.
Our research continues in the Primary Cell Culture, Multiphoton, and Electrophysiology Rooms and in the Stem Cell Lab.
The equipment we use for these experiments is known as an electrophysiology rig; this includes a microscope, electrode (to record the electrical activity), manipulators (to move and hold the electrode), an amplifier (to amplify the tiny electrical signals from single cells), a computer (to record the digital readout of the electrical activity) and last but not least an anti-vibration table (this table effectively floats on air to prevent everything from shaking). It is pretty amazing to be able to record the activity of individual nerve cells and see how they react to different stimuli in real time.
Our research focuses on human induced pluripotent stem cells to generate models with which to investigate Alzheimer’s disease, motor neuron disease and Batten disease. We generate nerve cell populations and cerebral organoids (sometimes called mini brains) in the laboratory from these stem cells, and study how these nerve cells function. Our laboratory is equipped to allow cutting-edge research into these diseases, and we have capabilities that include CRISPR/Cas gene editing, high-throughput automated live cell imaging, and electrophysiology using multielectrode arrays.
The multiphoton microscope allows us to look deep inside living tissue, and image cells in the intact brain. It uses an infrared laser to scan deep inside the tissue without harming it. We use this system to image neurons in the cortex at high resolution, particularly the connections between the neurons, known as synapses. These connections change and "rewire" over time as we learn and adapt – this is called PLASTICITY. This microscope actually allows us to directly image these changes over time (hours/days/weeks). We are using it to study changes in synaptic plasticity during ageing and Alzheimer's disease.