Prof Alistair Mathie, Medway School of Pharmacy - In the brain, nerve cells communicate with each other and with the rest of the body, using a combination of chemical and electrical signals. In my talk, I will describe some of the basic features of how nerve cells do this and why it is vital in allowing us to function as humans.
A remarkable range of animals (spiders, snakes, scorpions and puffer fish, to name just a few) produce venoms that can harm us. The venoms contain toxins which elicit their effects by acting on the main family of proteins (called ion channels) which underlie nerve cell communication. When they do this, these toxins block electrical signalling in neurons and can kill us. For a research scientist like me, this is not all bad news.
A remarkable range of animals (spiders, snakes, scorpions and puffer fish, to name just a few) produce venoms that can harm us. The venoms contain toxins which elicit their effects by acting on the main family of proteins (called ion channels) which underlie nerve cell communication. When they do this, these toxins block electrical signalling in neurons and can kill us. For a research scientist like me, this is not all bad news.
