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How the approximately 1 trillion nerve cells in the brain network to form the nervous system is a mystery that a Purdue University scientist is hoping to unravel.
Jim Clemens, a biochemistry assistant professor, studies how communication between brain nerve cells, called "neurons," leads to the development of the nervous system. His research is based on his discovery of a protein complex and characterization of one of the proteins, which facilitates specific neuron connections to allow transmission of molecular orders throughout the body.
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Photo by Tom Campbell |
| An aquarium may seem out of place in a research lab, but Purdue biochemist Jim Clemens says he uses it to "inspire and conspire" with other researchers. "They come in and look at the fish, and we start to talk. The next thing you know, we're discussing new research possibilities." |
Clemens has shown that in fruit flies, a specific gene, called "Dscam," is required to produce the cell surface protein molecules that direct neurons to pair with their correct mate. These genes make more than 38,000 protein variations, each of which enables a neuron to interact specifically with another neuron. "Neurons have to differentiate themselves so that they can recognize their partner or target," Clemens says. The Dscam proteins on the neuron cell surface perform this role. "Each Dscam protein has a different way of binding, a unique specificity. It's like a toolbox with many different fasteners."
The ability to change these connections could offer treatments for some diseases that begin during fetal and childhood development, such as mental retardation, dyslexia, autism, cerebral palsy and pediatric epilepsy.
Clemens' groundbreaking research has earned him prestigious fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Esther A. & Joseph Klingenstein Fund Inc. Both fellowships are awarded to researchers in the early stages of their careers.
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