Open Brain Institute Webinar # 2: Spines and Motif Participation

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darshanmandge

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Apr 14, 2026, 2:43:34 AM (6 days ago) Apr 14
to Systems Neuroscience

Dear colleagues, 

Following our first webinar on disease modelling, we are pleased to invite you to the second Open Brain Institute webinar: 

Topic: Spines and Motif Participation 
Speaker: Dr. Michael Reimann 
Date: Wednesday, April 29 
Time: 13:30–14:30 (CET) 

Abstract 

Most excitatory synaptic connections in cortical circuits are formed on dendritic spines. Beyond their established role in synaptic plasticity, spines have been hypothesized to contribute to the formation of connectivity by enabling dendrites to contact more distant axons. This raises the possibility of a direct relationship between local network topology and spine morphology at the level of individual neurons. 

Understanding this relationship is central to explaining how structured, non-random connectivity emerges in cortical microcircuits. 

In this webinar, we will investigate this hypothesis using electron microscopy data from the MICrONS project within the Open Brain Institute Virtual Labs framework. 

Specifically, we will: 

  • Analyze the MICrONS connectome using adjacency matrices and Python-based motif detection methods 
  • Identify neurons with high participation in specific connectivity motifs 
  • Reconstruct neuronal morphology using OBI skeletonization and spine extraction tools 
  • Quantify spine density and morphology in relation to motif participation 

We will test the following hypotheses: 

  • Neuronal participation in motifs is correlated with spine density 
  • Synaptic participation in motifs is correlated with spine size 

This workflow provides a concrete connectomics pipeline linking network structure to synaptic anatomy. 

Finally, we will outline a follow-up study leveraging Virtual Labs for biophysical simulations of the reconstructed neurons, enabling investigation of how motif participation and spine structure influence synaptic integration. 

We hope you will join us for this session. 


Best Wishes, 

Darshan Mandge, PhD 
Scientist, 
Open Brain Institute, 
Lausanne, Switzerland 1005 
https://www.openbraininstitute.org/ 
https://ch.linkedin.com/company/openbraininstitute 

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