Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique

In neurons, electrical and calcium signals result from the synergistic simultaneous activity of several ion channel types. In the current issue of Journal of Neuroscience, researchers of the LIPhy and their international collaborators report a study where, for the first time, they reconstructed the parallel activity of diverse calcium and potassium channels during a physiological synaptic input in native neurons.

The resistance of trees to drought is a growing concern in the context of global warming. Under dry conditions, embolisms can appear in the sap network within leaves, potentially stopping the circulation and leading to leaf drying. However, the propagation and growth of embolisms in leaves remains poorly understood. Researchers from LIPhy have undertaken a physical study to study such embolisms in an artificial leaf.

Red blood cells have a subtle mechanics which is not fully described by current models, that enables them to perform their oxygen transport function, . LIPhy researchers, in collaboration with Université Libre de Bruxelles, carried out an extensive experimental study of their dynamics in shear flow which shows a multiplicity of simultaneous dynamic states linked to the variability of properties between cells. This constitutes a reference work for the validation of new models.