Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience
{{Short description|Neuroscience institute in Jupiter, FL}}
{{external links|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox institute
| name = Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience
| image = Max-Planck-Florida-Institute.jpg
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| caption = The Institute in August 2012
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| established = {{Start date|2010}}
| director =
| chairman = Dr. David Fitzpatrick
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| location = John D. MacArthur Campus, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida
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| address = One Max Planck Way
Jupiter, Florida 33458 USA
| website = {{URL |http://www.mpfi.org}}
}}
The Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI), is a research facility located in Jupiter, Florida. Its research focuses on brain function and neural circuits, using techniques to visualize microscopic molecular processes. It is the first institute established by the Max Planck Society in North America,{{cite web |title=Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience Website |url=https://mpfi.org/institute/boards/ |access-date=6 June 2022 |website=mpfi.org}} and one of few institutes outside Germany.{{Cite web |title=Institutes in the German federal states |url=https://www.mpg.de/institutes_map?world=1 |access-date=2025-01-07 |website=www.mpg.de |language=en}}
Research
The focus of the research at this institute is to better understand the structure, function,{{Cite web|date=2021-05-25|title=Study highlights the importance of sensory connections in fear learning|url=https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210525/Study-highlights-the-importance-of-sensory-connections-in-fear-learning.aspx|access-date=2021-09-02|website=News-Medical.net|language=en}} and development of neural circuits. It is a basic research institute. There are 9 research groups within MPFI, including labs run by the three scientific directors.{{Cite web |title=Our Labs – Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience |url=https://mpfi.org/science/our-labs/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=mpfi.org}}
= Scientific Directors =
The first Scientific Director of the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience was David Fitzpatrick.{{Cite web |access-date=June 6, 2022 |title=Boards |url=https://mpfi.org/institute/boards/ |website=mpfi.org}} David Fitzpatrick was named CEO and Scientific Director of MPFI in 2011. Previously, Fitzpatrick was the James B. Duke Professor of Neuroscience at the Duke University School of Medicine and was the Founding Director of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences. Fitzpatrick's professional awards for his research accomplishments include the Alfred P. Sloan Research Award, the Cajal Club Cortical Discoverer Award, and the McKnight Neuroscience Investigator Award. Dr. Fitzpatrick has also served on many scientific advisory boards including the Searle Scholars Program, the German Research Foundation (DFG), the RIKEN Brain Science Institute, the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology, and the National Institute of Health (NIH). Dr. Fitzpatrick also served as a Senior Editor for the Journal of Neuroscience, among other scientific publications.
Ryohei Yasuda was named as the second Scientific Director of MPFI in 2012. He has a PhD in physics from Keio University Graduate School of Science and Technology in Yokohama, Japan. From 2000 to 2005, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and was an assistant professor of Neurobiology at Duke University Medical Center from 2005 to 2012. Yasuda also served as an Early Career Scientist at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute from 2009 to 2012. Yasuda's professional awards for his research accomplishments include the Career Award at the Scientific Interface from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, the New investigator Award from the Alzheimer's Association, and the Research Award for Innovative Neuroscience from the Society for Neuroscience.
Lin Tian was named the third Scientific Director of MPFI in 2023.{{Cite web |title=Internationally recognized leader in biosensor development to join Max Planck Florida |url=https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1004926 |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=EurekAlert! |language=en}} Her lab focuses on genetically encoded indicators.{{Cite web |title=Tian Lab – Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience |url=https://mpfi.org/science/our-labs/tian-lab/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=mpfi.org}} Tian's grants and awards for her accomplishments include a $1M W.M. Keck Foundation Award{{Cite web |last=UC Davis News |date=2022-03-04 |title=UC Davis wins two awards from the W. M. Keck Foundation |url=https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlines/uc-davis-wins-two-awards-from-the-w-m-keck-foundation/2022/03 |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=news}} and a Rita Allen Foundation Scholar award.{{Cite web |last=Rita Allen Foundation |last2= |date=2016-08-06 |title=Lin Tian |url=https://ritaallen.org/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=Rita Allen Foundation |language=en-US}}
= Discoveries =
In 2013, a research study led by MPFI's Scientific Director, Ryohei Yasuda, discovered a signaling protein involved in the neuronal dysfunction seen in Alzheimer's Disease. This study showed that reduction in production of the protein, centaurin-1 (CentA1), using RNA silencing techniques led to amelioration of Alzheimer's-related symptoms in neurons.{{cite journal|last=Szatmari|first=Erzsebet|author2=Ana F. Oliveira |author3=Elizabeth J. Sumner |author4=Ryohei Yasuda |title=Centaurin-α1-Ras-Elk-1 Signaling at Mitochondria Mediates β-Amyloid-Induced Synaptic Dysfunction|journal=The Journal of Neuroscience|date=March 2013|volume=33|issue=12 |pages=5367–5374|doi=10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2641-12.2013|url= |pmc=3866502 |pmid=23516302}}
Facilities
MPFI opened a 3-story, {{convert|100000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} research facility on the John D. MacArthur Campus of the Florida Atlantic University's Honors Campus in Jupiter, Florida in 2012. Almost 58,000 square feet (5,400 m2) of the building is dedicated laboratory space, including guest labs for visiting scientists. The building also includes a 100-seat auditorium.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}
The MPFI building was designed by the Washington, D.C. architectural firm, ZGF Architects LLP and built by DPR Construction. The building meets the requirements of the US Green Building Council's LEED-NC accreditation program and has incorporated laboratory-specific energy-use reduction recommendations from the US Department of Energy's Lab 21 environmental performance criteria.{{cite news|last=Brinkmann|first=Paul|title=Green building: South Florida now has 200 LEED projects|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/blog/2012/12/green-building-south-florida-has-200.html|newspaper=South Florida Business Journal|date=2012-12-20}}
References
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{{Max Planck Society}}
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