Introduction to the vacant position:
The Nanoprobes and Nanoswitches Group is actively seeking a researcher to contribute to projects centered around photoswitchable compounds. This research aligns with the laboratory's ongoing activities, focusing on the design, synthesis, in vitro and in vivo characterization of photochromic small molecules. This pursuit finds resonance in the EPILLUM project, which is dedicated to pioneering novel approaches for neuromodulation and neural circuit studies. EPILLUM's core objective is to develop groundbreaking technologies for epilepsy treatment, employing noninvasive illumination methods and photoswitchable drugs. These innovations leverage the unique properties of red and infrared light, penetrating deep brain regions, to exert precise control over pharmacological actions. By combining patterned illumination techniques and newly devised neuroinhibitory photoswitchable drugs, the project aspires to demonstrate localized, on-demand seizure inhibition in animal epilepsy models, offering promising prospects for a novel treatment modality with wide-ranging scientific, clinical, and socioeconomic implications.
This fellowship is associated with the research project