Neuroscience

The molecular structure of the brain is important in allowing us to retain and access memories. In the Edinburgh Single-Molecule Biophysics group, we are interested in applying single-molecule and super-resolution microscopy techniques to characterise the structure of the brain at the nanometre length scale. In collaboration with Professor Seth Grant, we have been looking at the post-synaptic scaffolding protein PSD-95, determining how its structure varies across the different regions of the brain, and how it changes through time. Through looking at brain homogenate, we have been able to look at single complexes containing PSD-95 and can see how the partners within these exchange through time.

Team members

• Candace Adams
• Nicolas Martinez-Wise
• John Girgis
• Amelia Beckett
• Ellie Hansen

Collaborators

• Seth Grant
• Tara Spires-Jones
• Marc Vendrell
• Matthew Broadhead
• Steven F Lee
• Masahisa Katsuno

Selected Recent Publications

1. 3D super-resolution imaging of PSD95 reveals an abundance of diffuse protein supercomplexes in the mouse brain.

   Daly S, Bulovaite E, Handa A, Morris K, Muresan L, Adams C, Kaizuka T, Grant SGN, Horrocks MH, Lee SF.

   ACS Chemical Neuroscience, 16(1):40-51 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00684

2. Exenatide once weekly in the treatment of patients with multiple system atrophy.

   Vijiaratnam N, Girges C, Wiegand M, Ismail C, Lameirinhas A, Yarnall A, Horrocks MH, Lee JE, O'Shaughnessy J, Gandhi S, Libri V, Athauda D, Foltynie T.

   Annals of Neurology, 00:1-13 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.70004

3. Sequential replacement of PSD95 subunits in postsynaptic supercomplexes is slowest in the cortex.

   Morris K, Bulovaite E, Kaizuka T, Schnorrenberg S, Adams C, Komiyama N, Mendive-Tapia L, Grant SGN, Horrocks MH.

   eLife, 13:RP99303 (2024). https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.99303.3

4. PSD95 nanoclusters are postsynaptic building blocks in hippocampus circuits.

   Broadhead M.J., Horrocks M.H., Zhu F., Muresan L., Benavides-Piccione R., DeFelipe J., Fricker D., Kopanitsa M.V., Duncan R.R., Klenerman D., Komiyama N.H., Lee S.F., Grant S.G.N.

   Scientific Reports, 6, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep24626

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