Session Details
[1LS02]Frontiers in Higher Brain Functions Revealed by Large-scale Imaging: Glia and Neuron
Thu. Jul 30, 2026 12:00 PM - 12:50 PM JST
Thu. Jul 30, 2026 3:00 AM - 3:50 AM UTC
Thu. Jul 30, 2026 3:00 AM - 3:50 AM UTC
Room 2 (International Conference)
Chairperson: Shigeo Okabe (RIKEN Center for Brain Science)
Co-hosted by Miltenyi Biotec K.K.
Brain-wide exploration of astrocyte-neuron interactions for learning and memory
Astrocytes are widely distributed across the brain and interact closely with neurons and other cells in local circuits. Although they were traditionally viewed as a relatively homogeneous population, recent work has revealed marked molecular diversity. A key unresolved question is whether astrocytes also show functional diversity in behaviorally consequential ways. Put simply, do astrocytes form functional ensembles? In this lecture, I will present our recent work using a whole-brain approach to identify and characterize behaviorally relevant astrocyte ensembles (BAEs) associated with emotional memory. I will focus in particular on evidence that fear experiences recruit noradrenaline-to-astrocyte signaling, contributing to memory stabilization through interactions with engram neurons. I will also discuss how these astrocyte ensembles are recruited during learning and memory, how they are distributed across the brain, and how they shape neuronal activity and behavior.
Multiscale Neural Dynamics Enabled by Wide-field, High-resolution, and High-speed Imaging
Brain function emerges from interactions among neuronal activities distributed across multiple regions. To understand these dynamics, imaging must combine a wide field of view, cellular resolution, and sufficient speed to capture rapidly changing activity. We developed FASHIO-2PM, a wide-field two-photon microscope equipped with a large objective lens and a sensitive detection system, and recorded activity from more than 10,000 neurons within a 3 × 3 mm² field of view in the mouse neocortex at 7.5–15 Hz. This enabled single-cell network analysis, revealing small-world properties and rare hub neurons. By comparing awake, sleeping, and anesthetized states, we found that during sleep and anesthesia, networks divide into subnetworks at the single-cell scale, while their member cells remain spatially intermixed. In contrast, after coarse-graining the single-cell network, these subnetworks become spatially localized. In this talk, I will discuss multiscale neural dynamics revealed by FASHIO-2PM and future perspectives, including next-generation wide-field microscopy and potential links with related imaging technologies.
Astrocytes are widely distributed across the brain and interact closely with neurons and other cells in local circuits. Although they were traditionally viewed as a relatively homogeneous population, recent work has revealed marked molecular diversity. A key unresolved question is whether astrocytes also show functional diversity in behaviorally consequential ways. Put simply, do astrocytes form functional ensembles? In this lecture, I will present our recent work using a whole-brain approach to identify and characterize behaviorally relevant astrocyte ensembles (BAEs) associated with emotional memory. I will focus in particular on evidence that fear experiences recruit noradrenaline-to-astrocyte signaling, contributing to memory stabilization through interactions with engram neurons. I will also discuss how these astrocyte ensembles are recruited during learning and memory, how they are distributed across the brain, and how they shape neuronal activity and behavior.
Multiscale Neural Dynamics Enabled by Wide-field, High-resolution, and High-speed Imaging
Brain function emerges from interactions among neuronal activities distributed across multiple regions. To understand these dynamics, imaging must combine a wide field of view, cellular resolution, and sufficient speed to capture rapidly changing activity. We developed FASHIO-2PM, a wide-field two-photon microscope equipped with a large objective lens and a sensitive detection system, and recorded activity from more than 10,000 neurons within a 3 × 3 mm² field of view in the mouse neocortex at 7.5–15 Hz. This enabled single-cell network analysis, revealing small-world properties and rare hub neurons. By comparing awake, sleeping, and anesthetized states, we found that during sleep and anesthesia, networks divide into subnetworks at the single-cell scale, while their member cells remain spatially intermixed. In contrast, after coarse-graining the single-cell network, these subnetworks become spatially localized. In this talk, I will discuss multiscale neural dynamics revealed by FASHIO-2PM and future perspectives, including next-generation wide-field microscopy and potential links with related imaging technologies.
[1LS02-01]Brain-wide exploration of astrocyte-neuron interactions for learning and memory
*Jun Nagai1 (1. RIKEN Center for Brain Science)
[1LS02-02]Multiscale Neural Dynamics Enabled by Wide-field, High-resolution, and High-speed Imaging
*Masanori Murayama1 (1. RIKEN Center for Brain Science)