On 8 June, our laboratory members were involved in facilitating the Sunburst brain camp. Organised by the NUS department of Physiology, the camp aims to nurture an interest in scientific research through a week of hands-on activities, interactive lectures and opportunities to interact with NUS professors on neuroscience research. During the day-long laboratory orientation, our members introduced Parkinson’s disease and our various approaches in unveiling the complexity of the disease.

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Adeline, our fly expert, presented on our laboratory’s expertise in fly husbandry, including the gender selection process and adult fly brain dissection procedure. The study of fruit flies helps us to better understand the connection between human disease genes and neurodegeneration, aiding us in discovering better treatment for Parkinson's Disease.  Meanwhile, Dr Chai Chou shared with the students about the emerging field of induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) as a promising approach towards understanding Parkinson’s disease. Cell samples were prepared for student’s viewing under the microscope and stained accordingly to show the reprogrammed iPSCs to dopaminergic neurons. Effective antibody staining principles were emphasised in line with research objectives.