Join Us for Our 14^th ibiTea on July 23, 2025:

Neural Pathways in Focus:
From Synaptic Transmission to Tumor Progression

Presented by Austin Passaro from Axion BioSystems, Atlanta, USA, and
Moran Amit from the University of Texas / Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA

We are pleased to invite you to our 14^th ibiTea meeting. Join us on July 23, 2025, for an informative webinar featuring two leading scientists in the field of neuroscience.

ibiTea Topic Outline

Powering Neurons with Light: Using Optogenetics to Study Synaptic Propagation

Our first speaker, Austin Passaro, will present an innovative assay for studying synaptic transmission.

Synaptic connections are crucial for neuronal function, but traditional in vitro models limit studying synaptic propagation, as they are only comprised of a single circuit. Here, he will present a simple synaptic propagation assay using two distinct cortical neuron circuits. First, neurons were seeded in separate compartments of an ibidi Culture-Insert within a multielectrode array (MEA) plate. After removing the insert, cultures matured, and functional connections formed between populations. One population expressed ChR2 for optogenetic stimulation, while the other served as a readout for synaptic propagation. Finally, dosing with synaptic blockers validated the ability to detect changes in propagation.

This assay offers an effective alternative to animal models for studying synaptic transmission.

Image of the ibidi Culture-Insert 2 Well positioned within a 6-well MEA plate. The insert separates two populations of neurons that will later be allowed to form functional synapses across populations that can be stimulated and recorded individually to assess connectivity.

Austin Passaro received a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Georgia in 2021, specifically focusing on neural stem cell biology and neurological disorder research using complex in vitro models, such as microfluidics and organoids. For the past 4+ years at Axion Biosystems, he has worked to promote and improve multielectrode array technology for a wide range of applications such as disease modeling, drug discovery, and toxicology.

Cancer Takes a Nerve

Our second speaker, Moran Amit, will highlight key discoveries at the intersection of neuroscience and oncology.

Cancer neuroscience is an emerging discipline revealing how the nervous system profoundly shapes cancer biology. Recent advances show that both central and peripheral nerves interact directly with tumor cells and the immune microenvironment, influencing tumor growth, invasion, and therapy resistance. Microscopy-based studies have uncovered intricate neural-cancer crosstalk, including perineural invasion and nerve remodeling within tumors, with implications for prognosis and treatment response. Novel imaging approaches illuminate the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which nerves modulate cancer progression, opening avenues for targeted interventions.

This presentation will highlight key discoveries at the intersection of neuroscience and oncology, with a focus on how advanced microscopy is unraveling these complex interactions.

Human RealDRG grown on the µ-Slide VI ^0.4 µ-Pattern ibiTreat ^{lin20, pit170}. The slide was pre-coated with silk for 2 hours at 37° C before seeding the cells. After incubating the cells for 72 hours, fixation and staining with Mito-Tracker (ß-tubulin, green) and DAPI (cell nuclei, blue) were applied.

Dr. Amit was recruited to the Department of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in April 2019 and has an active research laboratory focusing on cancer-related neurogenesis and axonogenesis as well as the role of neuro-immunology in cancer. One exciting finding of Dr. Amit’s lab involved describing a mechanism by which head and neck tumors can reprogram adrenergic signaling in neurons and the effect of targeting the peripheral nervous system on cancer initiation and progression. This will serve as a basis for combining treatments targeting the nervous system with other therapies, such as immunotherapy, in the treatment of head and neck cancers.