Membrane Biophysics
The release of neurotransmitters and hormones is mediated by exocytosis, that is the fusion of vesicles which contain those substances with the cellular membrane. We are interested in the cellular and molecular mechanisms which control and trigger this process, since they are responsible for the communication among neurons, as well as for a variety of other signaling mechanisms in our body. We specialize on problems of synaptic short-term plasticity, on factors governing the availability of secretory vesicles, as well as on developmental aspects of synaptic transmission.