IAMS Upcoming Activities 原分所學術演講活動
消息來源：原分所
截止日期：2026-09-17
1.IAMS Lecture
中研院原分所演講公告
| Title | Neural Computations Underlying Polarization Vision in Cephalopods |
| Speaker | Dr. Tomoyuki Mano Computational Neuroethology Unit , Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology 真野智之博士 沖繩科學技術大學 |
| Time | 11:00 AM, August 26 (Wednesday), 2026 |
| Venue | C. T. Chang Memorial Hall (NTU Campus), IAMS 本所張昭鼎紀念講堂（臺大校園內） |
| Contact | Dr. Chia-Lung Hsieh |
| Abstract | Underwater environments prominently feature a dimension of light invisible to our own eyes, polarization. Cephalopods (octopus, cuttlefish and squid) detect polarization with both high sensitivity and resolution, skillfully utilizing it for complex behaviors such as hunting and communication. However, the neural mechanisms for encoding patterns of light polarization remain poorly understood. Using the bigfin reef squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana), we developed a new head- fixation method to perform two photon calcium imaging in awake squid, providing the first in vivo recordings of the cephalopod visual system at cellular resolution. In the optic lobe cortex, the brain region receiving input from retinal photoreceptors, we identified distinct neuron classes defined by spatiotemporal tuning and light intensity vs polarization specificity, including (i) integrators of polarized photoreceptor inputs, (ii) neurons selective for a single polarization orientation, and (iii) neurons that subtract orthogonal polarization signals—together suggesting notable parallels with color coding in the vertebrate retina. Neuropixels recordings from downstream visual brain regions revealed evidence for hierarchical processing: receptive fields expanded with depth, and intensity and polarization signals were integrated with progressively greater complexity. Collectively, our study provides new insights into the neural computations underlying cephalopods’ specialized underwater vision and the convergent evolution of visual systems. |
2.IAMS Lecture
中研院原分所演講公告
| Title | Dynamics of Protein Folding Probed by Nanophotonic- Enhanced Single-Molecule Fluorescence Spectroscopy |
| Speaker | Dr. Chi-Jui Feng National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health 馮啟瑞博士 美國國家衛生院 |
| Time | 10:00 AM, September 1 (Tuesday), 2026 |
| Venue | Dr. Poe Lecture Hall, IAMS 本所浦大邦紀念講堂（臺大校園內） |
| Contact | Dr. Chun-Chia Chen |
| Abstract | Protein folding mechanisms are encoded in the transient conformational dynamics of folding transition paths. Transition paths are barrier-crossing dynamics connecting stable conformational states, but their short-lived nature and conformational heterogeneity make them difficult to measure experimentally. Despite advances in theory and molecular simulations, experimental single-molecule measurements remain sparse due to limited time resolution. In this study, we characterized folding transition paths using nanophotonic-enhanced single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy. Nanophotonic enhancement increases fluorescence count rates to the MHz range, allowing us to resolve microsecond transition paths and characterize conformational heterogeneity. In the first part, we investigated single-domain proteins with varying length, secondary structures, and folding rates. We found that the barrier curvature is a strong determinant of the transition path time. Remarkably, diffusivity at the barrier top along the number of native contacts coordinate increases with the protein size, suggesting that cooperative native contact formation smooths the folding free-energy landscape in larger proteins. In the second part, we examined transition-path heterogeneity in the fast-folding three-helix bundle α3D, as predicted by atomistic MD simulations. Using site-specific three-color fluorescence labeling, we tracked inter-helical motions during individual transition paths. We observed two distinct transition-path conformations, distinguished by either a collapsed or an extended conformation of the first helix. Overall, this nanophotonic-enhaknced single-molecule FRET approach provides a general framework for characterizing transient, short-lived states in protein folding, binding, and misfolding. |
3.IAMS / NTU Chemistry Joint Lecture
中研院原分所與臺大化學系聯合演講
| Title | Polaritons: When light meets molecules: mysteries, challenges, and opportunities |
| Speaker | Prof. Pengfei Huo University of Rochester Pengfei Huo教授 羅徹斯特大學 |
| Time | 3:30 PM, September 10 (Thursday), 2026 |
| Venue | Dr. Poe Lecture Hall, IAMS 本所浦大邦紀念講堂（臺大校園內） |
| Contact | Dr. LIANG-YAN HSU |
| Abstract | Coupling molecules to confined electromagnetic fields inside optical microcavities gives rise to hybrid light–matter states known as polaritons, opening new avenues to control chemical phenomena. Recent experiments suggest that strong light–matter coupling can alter photochemical pathways, modify ground-state reactivity, and enhance energy and charge transport—yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, I will present theoretical advances developed in my group that enable accurate ab initio simulations of molecular response properties and dynamics under strong coupling to quantized radiation fields. These methods provide new insights into how cavity photons reshape molecular dynamical behavior. I will also introduce a recently proposed mechanism that explains changes in ground-state chemical reactivity under vibrational strong coupling. Together, these results offer new theoretical tools and conceptual mechanistic pictures for understanding and predicting polaritonic effects in chemistry, and highlight emerging opportunities for controlling chemical processes with light. |
4.IAMS / NTU Chemistry Joint Lecture
中研院原分所與臺大化學系聯合演講
| Title | In-Situ X-Ray Based Studies of Evolving Catalysts Under Electrochemical Reaction.” |
| Speaker | Dr. Yan-Gu Lin, National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center 林彥谷博士 同步輻射中心 |
| Time | 3:30 PM, September 17 (Thursday), 2026 |
| Venue | Dr. Poe Lecture Hall, IAMS 本所浦大邦紀念講堂（臺大校園內） |
| Contact | Dr. Ching-Ming Wei |