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Jes Steengaard: Luminescent Zebrafish for neuroscience

PhD defence, Wednesday 26 June 2019, Jes Steengaard.

Jes Steengaard
The image shows a 96-hour-old transgenic zebrafish generated for this project. The white arrow indicates luminescent protein in myelinating cells and the green arrow show the direction of the head.

In his research, Jes Steengaard has investigated molecular mechanisms related to the development of the myelin sheath in the brain. The myelinsheath is important for higher brain function and disappears in the disease multiple sclerosis.

To visualize the myelin sheaths, Jes Steengaard has made different transgenic zebrafish, which is luminescent. With these zebrafish, scientists can investigate when and how specific proteins are present and how they are regulated. Compounds from neurons make the zebrafish shine brighter, as a sign of activation of myelination. In a related project, Jes removes a protein related to multiple sclerosis from the zebrafish, resulting in less bright zebrafish. These fish are now used in similar projects at the Aarhus University and other universities around the world.

The PhD degree was completed at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Science and Technology, Aarhus University.

This résumé was prepared by the PhD student.

Time: Wednesday the 26th of June 2019 at 13:00
Place:  iNANO Auditoriet, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus C
Title of PhD thesis: Analysis of the molecular mechanisms underlying CNS myelination, in vitro and in vivo
Contact information: Jes Steengaard, e-mail: jes.steengaard@gmail.com, tlf.: 2857 0628
Members of the assessment committee:
Professor Anna Williams, MRC, Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, UK
Associate Professor Aasa Fex-Svenningsen, Neurobiological Research, Department of Mo-lecular Medicine, SDU, DK
Associate Professor Anni H. Andersen, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University (chair)
Main supervisor:
Professor Claus Oxvig, MBG, Aarhus Universitet
Co-supervisor:
Associate Professor Lisbeth S. LaursenMBG, Aarhus Universitet
Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English

The defence is public.

The PhD thesis is available for reading at the Graduate School of Science and Technology/GSST, Ny Munkegade 120, building 1521, 8000 Aarhus C. hos Graduate School of Science and Technology/GSST, Ny Munkegade 120, bygning 1521, 8000 Aarhus C.