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Peter Saggau
Baylor College of MedicineDepartment: NeuroscienceAddress: One Baylor Plaza, Room S730A Houston, TX 77030 Phone: 713-798-5082 Fax: 713-798-3946 Email: psaggau@bcm.edu Web: |
Education
B.S. EE/Communications Engineering, Technical College Ulm, Germany (1973)
M.S. EE/Cybernetics, Technical University Munich, Germany (1977)
Ph.D. Neuroscience, University of Munich, Germany (1988)
Honors
• Program Director, Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience Training Program
• Elected Fellow of the Institute of Physics, London, UK
• Joint Faculty, Dept. Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine
• Adjunct Faculty, Dept. Bioengineering, Rice University
• Nikon Research Fellow, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole
• Human Frontier Science Program Award
• Advanced Technology Program Awards
• Whitaker Foundation Biomedical Engineering Award
Research Topic
Mechanisms and Modulation of Synaptic Transmission; Single Neuron Computation; Advanced Optical Imaging Techniques in Neuroscience
Research Description
The research interests in the Saggau Lab are twofold: First, to understand the biophysics of central mammalian neurons that control both the communication between cells and their individual computational properties Second, to develop advanced optical imaging tools for studying living brain tissue that help us to achieve the first goal.
Our lab mainly focuses on synaptic transmission and dendritic integration. We have described the short-term modulation of voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCCs) in presynaptic terminals, where the transient influx of Ca2+ determines the timing and amount of neurotransmitter release. We have also studied postsynaptic VDCCs and their modulation in dendritic spines, where transient Ca2+ elevations can trigger long-term changes in synaptic transmission, such as LTP and LTD. Further, we are probing dendritic signal integration by investigating spatio-temporal summation of individual synaptic inputs.
Techniques used in our lab to address these and other challenging Neuroscience issues include high-speed micro-photometry, as well as combined whole-cell patch clamp and confocal/multiphoton microscopy. We also employ realistic computational models that are constrained by the morphology of automatically reconstructed living neurons.
Our lab is actively involved in developing advanced optical techniques to overcome the technical difficulties inherent in stimulating and recording in the very fine structures of neuronal dendrites and synapses. We are developing imaging systems based on standing wave microscopy that support studying sub-resolution structures in living tissue. We have developed next generation optical stimulation and recording systems with improved spatio-temporal resolution based on multiphoton excitation by acousto-optic control of near infrared ultra-fast laser pulses. These advanced techniques are employed for three-dimensional structural and functional optical imaging in intact neural tissue to provide new insights into normal and pathological brain function.
Selected Publications
- Gliko, O., Saggau, P., and Brownell, W.E. (2009) Compartmentalization of the outer hair cell demonstrated by slow diffusion in the extracisternal space. Biophys.J., 97:1215-1224.
- Mancuso, J.J., Larson, A., Wensel, T.G., and Saggau, P (2009). Multiphoton adaptation of a commercial low cost confocal microscope for live tissue imaging. J.Biomed.Optics, 14 (3) 034048.
- Gliko, O., Brownell, W.E., and Saggau, P. (2009) Fast two-dimensional standing wave total internal reflection microscopy using acousto-optic deflectors. Optics Letters, 34 (6):836-838.
- Losavio, B.E., Santamaria-Peng, A., Liang, Y., Kakadiaris, I.A., Colbert, C.M., and Saggau, P. (2008). Live neuron morphology automatically reconstructed from multiphoton and confocal imaging data. J.Neurophysiol., 100 (4):2422-2429.
- Reddy, G.D., Kelleher, K., Fink, R., and Saggau, P. (2008).Three-dimensional random access multiphoton microscopy for fast functional imaging of neuronal activity. Nature Neuroscience, 11(6):713-720.
- Saggau, P. (2006). New methods and uses for fast optical scanning. Curr.Opinion Neurobiol., 16:1-8.
- Bansal, V, Patel, S., and Saggau, P. (2006). High-speed addressable confocal microscopy for functional imaging of cellular activity. J.Biomed.Optics, 11:034003.
- Iyer, V., Hoogland, T., and Saggau, P. (2006). Fast functional imaging of single neurons using random-access multiphoton (RAMP) microscopy. J.Neurophysiol., 95:535-545.
- Hoogland,T.M. and Saggau, P. (2004). Facilitation of L-type Ca2+ channels in dendritic spines by activation of 2 adrenergic receptors. J.Neurosci., 24 (39):8416-8427.
- Faas, G.C., Adwanikar, H., Gereau, R.W. 4th and Saggau, P. (2002). Modulation of presynaptic calcium transients by metabotropic glutamate receptor activation: a differential role in acute depression of synaptic transmission and long-term depression. J. Neurosci. 22: 6885-6890.
- Sinha, S.R. and Saggau, P. (2001). Characterization of the spatio-temporal pattern of 4-aminopyridine-induced, GABAA receptor-mediated spontaneous synchronized activity in the hippocampal interneuron network. J. Neurophysiol. 86: 381-391.
- Bullen, A. and Saggau, P. (1999). High-speed, random-access fluorescence microscopy: II. Fast quantitative measurements with voltage-sensitive dyes. Biophys. J. 76: 2272-2287.
- Qian, J. and Saggau, P. (1999). Modulation of transmitter release by action potential duration at the hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapse. J. Neurophysiol. 81: 288-298.
- Sinha, S.R., Wu, L.G. and Saggau, P. (1997). Presynaptic calcium dynamics and transmitter release evoked by single action potentials at mammalian central synapses. Biophys. J. 72: 637-651
- Wu, L.G. and Saggau, P. (1997). Presynaptic inhibition of elicited neurotransmitter release. TINS 20: 204-212.
- Bullen, A., Patel, S.S. and Saggau, P. (1997). High-speed, random-access fluorescence microscopy: I. High resolution optical recording with voltage-sensitive dyes and ion indicators. Biophys. J. 73: 477-491.
Lab Members
Lab Photos
Last edited on: September 02, 2009