Tag: Norma Caridad Palmero Cruz

Optical Manipulation of Gut Microbiome and Neural Responses in Zebrafish
Norma Caridad Palmero Cruz
Date: 11 March 2026
Time: 18.00-20.00
Place: Aula Medica, Stockholm Sweden
Conference Protein Folding in Real Time, 11-13 March 2026, Stockholm, Sweden

The gut-brain axis is a complex, bidirectional network linking the microbiome to the central nervous system, significantly affecting physiological processes and neurological health, including conditions like autism and depression. Due to the genetic similarities between zebrafish and humans, the zebrafish serves as a valuable model for investigating the bidirectional relationship between the gut and brain, offering insights into how it compares with human behaviors. Research on the connection between gut and brain development typically involves using germ-free lab animals, where the microbiome is eliminated, and comparing them to those with restored microbiomes. However, this method does not capture the complexity of microbiome-nervous system communication due to its all-or-nothing approach. This work presents a setup that combines microfluidic techniques, optical tweezers, and light sheet microscopy to precisely manipulate the microbiome in larval zebrafish in situ and in vivo. This approach offers deeper insights into gut-brain connectivity and its impact on neurological health.

Exploring gut-brain connectivity using zebrafish and graph theory
Norma Caridad Palmero Cruz, Sarah B. Flensburg, Hang Zhao, Antonio Ciarlo, Caroline Beck Adiels, Gilles Vanwalleghem, Giovanni Volpe
Date: 5 August 2025
Time: 3:15 – 3:30 PM
Place: Conv. Ctr. Room 4

The gut-brain axis constitutes a fundamental communication network linking the microbiome, enteric nervous system, and central nervous system, and is increasingly recognized for its role in mental health disorders. Although substantial progress has been made in characterizing this axis, the translation of research findings into clinical applications remains limited. In the present study, zebrafish are employed as a model organism due to their genetic and physiological similarities to humans, allowing the investigation of gut-brain interactions under controlled conditions. An experimental platform has been developed that integrates microfluidic, optical tweezers, and light sheet microscopy to introduce defined bacterial strains into the gut and to manipulate the local environment. This setup enables real-time, in vivo recording of neuronal activity across different stages of infection. By applying graph theoretical analysis to high-resolution imaging data, the study aims to characterize the neural connectivity of the gut-brain axis, potentially informing new strategies for understanding and treating mental and neurological disorders.