ERIK JORGENSEN

The Jorgensen laboratory studies the molecular basis of synaptic transmission, focusing on the mechanisms of synaptic vesicle fusion and synaptic vesicle regeneration.  We use the nematode C. elegans, and cultured rat and mouse hippocampal neurons as model systems.  In addition, we are developing tools for the broader community of geneticists and cell biologists.  For geneticists, we are designing methods to manipulate the genome of the nematode C. elegans – by random mutagenesis using chemical mutagens and transposons, by directed insertion of single copy transgenes, and by directed changes to endogenous genes using CRISPR.  For cell biologists, we are developing methods in super-resolution microscopy to localize and track single proteins, and methods in electron microscopy to capture rapid cellular events. The eventual goal will be to fuse these methods to characterize the molecular topography of the cell in time and space.