Patrice Dionne

EMAIL:

POSITION:

M.Sc. student in Biophotonics (http://www.biophotonique.ulaval.ca), Université Laval (http://www.ulaval.ca)

ACADEMIA:

B.Sc. in Engineering Physics, Université Laval (http://www.ulaval.ca)

ADVISORS:

Paul De Koninck (http://www.greenspine.ca)

Claudine Allen (http://www.vrr.ulaval.ca/bd/chercheur/fiche/1045840.html)

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Quantum dots, study of single proteins

Research Summary

The aim of this project is to functionalize fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots (QD)) in order to use them as a probe to follow the dynamics of single membrane’s proteins on cultured neurons. This project is about: (1) working out a ligands exchange protocol to transform the hydrophobic synthesized nanocrystals into hydrophilic ones and (2) coupling these soluble nanocrystals with binding proteins (e.g. antibodies, streptavidin) whose function is to specifically bind membrane receptors. These membrane receptors may be endogenous (wild form) to neurons or modified (e.g. with a biotin binding segment), the expression of these modified proteins being the result of a gene transfer manipulation. The complex QD-binding proteins let us stain a membrane protein to (3) follow it in video rate using a fluorescence microscope equipped with an ultra-sensitive camera. This project will help us contribute to the understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms that control the recruitment of membrane proteins responsible of the synaptic transmissions in the brain.