The Max Planck Society has appointed Dr. Anant Jain as the head of a Partner Group of Max Planck Florida Institute of Neuroscience (MPFI) at the Centre for High Impact Neuroscience and Translational Applications (CHINTA), Kolkata. This program, recognizing outstanding young investigators, supports those who return to their home country to establish independent research groups aligned with their former Max Planck labs’ interests. Along with substantial funding for the Jain lab available over a five-year period, the Max Planck Society will also provide 20,000 Euros to host an inaugural workshop to kick off this partnership. Notably, the partnership between Dr. Jain and the Yasuda lab marks the inaugural venture of its kind at MPFI.
This fellowship awarded to Dr. Jain will allow him to closely work with Prof. Ryohei Yasuda’s group at MPFI and bring in cutting edge optical and imaging techniques such as two-photon FLIM (Fluorescent Lifetime Imaging) of protein biosensors to understand molecular signaling with high spatial-temporal resolution during neuronal communication and animal behavior. This pioneering research not only advances our understanding of fundamental neurobiological processes but also opens avenues for the development of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies targeting specific molecular events in neurological disorders.
“Dr. Anant Jain’s research focus and tools provide a fantastic basis for us to understand the role of synaptic proteins from the molecular to systems level, an exciting domain in both fundamental and translational neuroscience,” remarks Prof. Sumantra “Shona” Chattarji, director of CHINTA. He emphasizes that collaborating with a world-class institute like MPFI is invaluable for CHINTA, a young institution.
Dr. Jain expresses his excitement about introducing state-of-the-art imaging techniques in India and exploring fundamental questions about the brain. He notes “The Max Planck Partner Program strengthens institutional links, not just individual collaborations, which encourages the idea of global science”. When asked about his research plans, he states that over the next five years, he aims to investigate the synaptic and molecular mechanisms underlying behaviorally relevant plasticity mechanisms in the hippocampus and how alterations in these mechanisms contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. Specifically, Dr. Jain will use a combinatorial approach of patch clamp electrophysiology, 2pFLIM imaging and stem cell biology to address these questions. Understanding the specific molecular signaling during learning will aid future research in developing therapeutic interventions for neurological disorders.
Dr. Jain’s laboratory is currently hiring students. For more information, please contact him via email at anant.jain@tcgcrest.org.
Video: Dendrite showing specific protein activity during learning stimulus. Courtesy: Yasuda lab