Genetic cell fate manipulation can be used to convert one cell type to another, which facilitates the production of personalized and customized human neurons for basic science applications and disease modeling. Genetic conversions often start with accessible cell types like fibroblasts, which are converted to neurons using multiple lentivirus vectors that encode neurogenic genes, such as Ascl1 and Ngn2; furthermore, for doxycycline (dox) inducibility, another vector is used to deliver a dox-dependent transcriptional regulator (e.g. rtTA or TetR). Such direct cell fate conversion approaches have the advantage of retaining some epigenetic marks, but somatic cells like fibroblasts often grow slowly, and the use of multiple viral vectors decreases conversion efficiencies. To address these limitations, we tested a range of media formulations and found that supplementing serum-based fibroblast media with basic fibroblast growth factor improved growth by 3-fold. We also found that co-expression of Ascl1 and Ngn2 from a single lentivirus vector improved neuronal conversion by approximately 45% compared to the delivery of Ascl1 and Ngn2 on separate vectors. These improvements increase both neuronal conversion efficiency and potential neuronal yield of this fibroblast-to-neuron conversion platform. We are currently developing a self-inactivating "all-in-one" lentivirus, which will express dox-inducible Ascl1-P2A-Ngn2 along with TetR and a selectable marker to isolate pure neuronal populations for studies of human neurobiology and to model disorders of the brain.

Improved methodologies for genetic conversion of human fibroblasts to neurons

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PS-3-G -  Novel Methods and Technology Development

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Colleagues and Friends:

I am very happy to welcome you to the 14th annual Canadian Neuroscience Meeting, and to the first virtual edition of our meeting. I want to highlight the important work the CAN meeting chair, **Roger Thompson** and co-chair, **Alyson Fournier**, did to put together the great program we are offering this year. Moving to a virtual format required a complete re-design of the program, and both Roger and Alyson did a splendid job in providing us with an appealing and well adapted program for our first virtual event. I wish to thank them for this very important effort.

Highlights of this year’s scientific meeting include invited speakers **Michael Hausser, Franck Polleux, Gwyneth Card, Magdalena Götz**and Brain Prize winner **Huda Zoghbi**. Plenary and parallel symposia, proposed by our members complete our diverse [scientific program.](https://can-acn.org/meeting-2021/program-2021/)

The 2021 Advocacy session, chaired and organized by CAN advocacy committee chair **Karun Singh**, will feature a special lecture and question period with Member of Parliament and past Science Minister **Kirsty Duncan**. This will be followed by a short overview of CAN’s advocacy activities over the last year. We invite you to participate in this session for insight from Dr. Duncan on the workings of Parliament Hill, and to learn more about what CAN has been doing to promote neuroscience research in Canada.

We are also excited to host **Lisa Willis** in the Equity Diversity and Inclusion session, organized by EDI committee chair **Jibran Khokhar**.

A special highlight of our meeting will be the lectures by award-winning young neuroscientists. We are please to host the CAN 2020 Young Investigator Award winner **Mihaela Iordanova**, and CAN 2021 Young Investigator Award winners **Aaron Phillips** and **Tabrez Siddiqui**. Highlights will also include presentation by the top three winners of the CAN-CIHR-INMHA Brain Star Award winners, **Claire Gizowski, Nuria Daviu Abant** and **Lukas Tamayo-Orrego**.

Independently organized satellite symposia complement and complete this exciting program, check them out here: https://can-acn.org/meeting-2021/2021-satellite-symposia/

Some of the most engaging sessions are always the poster sessions featuring the work of our trainees, so make sure to log in to Gather Town during the poster sessions to chat with the presenters.
We hope you enjoy this program, and look forward to welcoming you, virtually.

Shernaz Bamji

President of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience

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Please head to https://can-acn.org/meeting-2021/registration-2021/ to register. 

CAN-ACN 2021

14th Canadian Neuroscience Meeting from August 23rd-25th

Venkata Sai Sruthi Bandi

1

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Improved methodologies for genetic conversion of human fibroblasts to neurons

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