Sugar Addiction
Sugar addiction refers to the compulsive consumption of sugar-rich foods, driven by neurobiological mechanisms similar to those seen in substance use disorders. Excessive sugar intake can lead to binge-eating behaviors, withdrawal symptoms, and neurochemical changes in the brain’s reward system, particularly involving dopamine and opioid pathways.
We now know that sugar consumption leads to addiction-like behavior, activating the dopaminergic mesolimbic pathway in a manner similar to drugs of abuse. Studies have identified changes in dopamine D1, D2, and D3 receptor expression, as well as alterations in mu-opioid receptor binding in response to sugar consumption. However, the precise genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying individual susceptibility to sugar addiction remain poorly understood, making this an active area of research.
Currently coordinated by: Houda, Xander.
Lanmaoa asiatica
Lanmaoa asiatica is one of the most common edible boletes in Yunnan, widely distributed in southeastern China and popular for its flavorful smell and delicious crunchy taste. In additionq, it is also commonly known that these boletes need to properly cooked before consumption, and various clinical case studies reported visual hallucination and delirium-like symptoms following consumption of Lanmaoa asiatica, supposedly undercooked. Urban myths surrounding these mushrooms typically involve seeing “little people”, or lilliputian hallucination, following consumption, which further validates the visual hallucination theory. However, no known psychoactive substances were identified in Lanmaoa asiatica yet, and previous research work utilizing BLAST search to align the Lanmaoa asiatica genome with known psychedelic-producing pathways–the psilocybin and muscimol biosynthetic pathways–yielded no significant results, indicating that the psychoactive substance in Lanmaoa asiatiaca might not fall into these 2 known categories of fungi-produced psychoactive substances. Therefore, in this project, we aim to identify the psychoactive substance responsible for Lanmaoa asiatica‘s hallucigenic effects, and/or elucidate its mechanism of function.
Currently coordinated by: Yuqing.
Dopaminergic and Cholinergic Signaling During ICSS: A Fiber Photometry Approach
The study explores how intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) influences neuromodulatory activity in the rat brain. Using fiber photometry with AAV-based sensors such as GRAB-DA and GRAB-ACh, the project examines dopaminergic and cholinergic signaling during ICSS and tracks how these dynamics evolve over time. Advanced surgical techniques are coupled with in vivo recordings and postmortem analyses to provide a comprehensive view of circuit-level adaptations.
Currently coordinated by: Ilias.
