Susann Meyer

03.07.2020

Optical cochlear implant in the cochlea of a gerbil: The Reconstruction of the spiral-shaped cochlea of a gerbil (grey) was generated by X-ray tomography images at the Institute for X-ray Physics (Prof. Dr. Tim Salditt) at the University of Göttingen. The spiral ganglion with the auditory nerve cells is shown in purple. The optical cochlear implant is shown in blue, the μLEDs are visible as blue dots.
Source: Prof. Salditt, University of Göttingen

03.07.2020

Lighting array in the ear: First use of multi-channel cochlear implants with microscale light-emitting diodes

A milestone in hearing research: Researchers at the University Medical Center Göttingen and the University of Freiburg combine for the first time gene therapy in the cochlea with optical cochlear […]

01.07.2020

Molecular signature of slowly expanding lesions in progressive multiple sclerosis

Jäckle K, Zeis T, Schaeren-Wiemers N, Junker A, van der Meer F, Kramann N, Stadelmann C, Brück W

01.07.2020

The human box C/D snoRNA U3 is a miRNA source and miR-U3 regulates expression of sortin nexin 27

Lemus-Diaz N, Ferreira RR, Bohnsack KE, Gruber J, Bohnsack MT

29.06.2020

μLED-based optical cochlear implants for spectrally selective activation of the auditory nerve

Dieter A, Klein E, Keppeler D, Jablonski L, Harczos T, Hoch G, Rankovic V, Paul O, Jeschke M, Ruther P, Moser T

26.06.2020

Figure: Coupled hair cells (left): Fluorescence microscopy image of a cell cluster of five coupled inner hair cells (pear-shaped with bright spots).
The second cell from the left was loaded with a fluorescent dye that labels the synaptic ribbon using the patch-clamp technique. From there, the dye spreads into the neighbouring hair cells and marks the synaptic ribbons (bright spots). Source: Institute for Auditory Neuroscience / UMG.
A “mini-syncytium” of three coupled inner hair cells (right); the connection is simplified as a tube formed by fused cell membranes: The electrical signals are transmitted via coupling of the cells. This mechanism reduces the stochastic noise of signal transmission at the ribbon synapses with the neurons forming the auditory nerve. From there the information is transmitted to a common target neuron in the brain, further reducing the noise and resulting in higher hearing sensitivity.
Source: Jean et al., Nat Commun, 2020; Suppl. Part.

26.06.2020

Coupled hair cells in the inner ear – „Together we are strong!“

When we hear, the sensory hair cells in the cochlea of the inner ear transduce sound signals of a certain pitch and convert them for transmission to the brain. For […]

25.06.2020

Macromolecular and electrical coupling between inner hair cells in the rodent cochlea

Jean P, Anttonen T, Michanski S, de Diego AMG, Steyer AM, Neef A, Oestreicher D, Kroll J, Nardis C, Pangršič T, Möbius W, Ashmore J, Wichmann C, Moser T