Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences

Manzini, Ivan, Prof. Dr.


  • since 2011: Group Leader (CNMPB Research Group) at the Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain,
    University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
  • 2003-2010: Research Assistant (Postdoctoral Research Fellow) at the Center for Physiology and Pathophysiology,
    University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
  • 1999-2003: Doctoral Thesis within the MSc/PhD/MD-PhD Neuroscience Program at the Center for Physiology and Pathophysiology,
    University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
  • 1993-1999: Studies of Biological Sciences at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy



Major Research Interests

Our research is directed towards a better understanding of how the olfactory network is formed during development and maintained in the adult. We also set out to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms of olfactory coding. We are using the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis as model animal. Amphibian species represent an evolutionary intermediary between fishes and mammals with respect to life style (partially aquatic), anatomical specialization (separate vomeronasal organ), and evolution of olfactory receptor gene families. Amphibians are, therefore, particularly suited to study questions related to the evolution of the vertebrate olfactory system. In our research we combine advanced physiological and molecular biological approaches.


Homepage Department/Research Group

https://www.uni-giessen.de/fbz/fb08/Inst/tphys/zel/team/manzini


Selected Recent Publications


  • Hassenklöver T, Manzini I (2013) Olfactory wiring logic in amphibians challenges the basic assumptions of the unbranched axon concept. J. Neurosci. 33:17247-52
  • Syed AS, Sansone A, Nadler W, Manzini I, Korsching SI (2013) Ancestral amphibian v2rs are expressed in the main olfactory epithelium. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 110:7714-7719
  • Gliem S, Syed AS, Sansone A, Kludt E, Tantalaki E, Hassenklöver T, Korsching SI, Manzini I (2013) Bimodal processing of olfactory information in an amphibian nose: Odor responses segregate into a medial and a lateral stream. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 70:1965-1984
  • Breunig E, Manzini I, Gutermann B, Schild D, Czesnik D (2010) The endocannabinoid 2-AG controls odor sensitivity in larvae of Xenopus laevis. J. Neurosci. 30:8965-8973
  • Hassenklöver T, Schwartz P, Schild D, Manzini I (2009) Purinergic signaling regulates cell proliferation of olfactory epithelium progenitors. Stem Cells 27:2022-2031
  • Czesnik D, Schild D, Kuduz J, Manzini I (2007) Cannabinoid action in the olfactory epithelium. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104:2967-2972