Imagine an artist starting with a big block of clay. At first, it’s just a rough shape – too much material, no clear form. But with each careful cut and smooth stroke, the artist removes what’s not needed, slowly revealing a beautiful sculpture underneath.

Our brains develop in a very similar way.

In the early stages of development, the brain is packed with more neurons and connections than it actually needs – like that oversized block of clay. Over time, it carefully “sculpts” itself by trimming away the extra neurons and pruning unnecessary connections. This process helps shape a finely tuned, efficient brain and nervous system.

Yunsik and his team study how brain cells – called neurons and glia – help shape brain circuits as the brain develops

This sculpting isn’t done by neurons alone. They work closely with glia – support cells in the brain that play a surprisingly active role in this artistic transformation. But here’s the mystery: while we know neurons and glia collaborate to refine the brain’s wiring, we still don’t fully understand the tiny details at the molecular level of how this works. And that’s important, because when this process goes wrong, it can lead to neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and schizophrenia.

The Kang lab is diving into this mystery. They study how neurons and glia work together to shape the brain during development, using fruit flies (Drosophila) as a model. These tiny creatures go through dramatic changes during metamorphosis as their bodies grow and develop, making them perfect for studying how the nervous system gets remodeled.

How do glia cells shift from a supporting role to a clean-up crew role during brain development?

One of the most fascinating parts of the brain development process is how glia change roles. Normally, they support neurons – but during remodeling in fruit flies, they shift into the cleanup crew, actively “eating” neurons and reshaping the brain in just a few hours. It’s a stunning transformation.

But how do the glia manage to consume so much excess material, so quickly?

One big challenge is that glia need a lot of membrane material to form the internal compartments (called phagosomes) that digest the neurons. Recently, the team discovered a special protein that acts like a bridge, helping transfer lipids (fats) to build more membrane in the glia. It turns out that this protein is essential for the glia to keep up with their intense remodeling work.

What types of techniques do Yunsik and his research team use in the laboratory to answer their questions?

The Kang lab uses a mix of cell biology, genetics, and biochemistry techniques to explore how neurons, glia and essential proteins shape brain and nervous system development.

The research team uses imaging tools like microscopy to watch how brain cells interact and connect during development, helping them understand how the brain builds itself. They also use a research technique called Immunoprecipitation-Mass Spectrometry (IP-MS) that allows them to explore interactions between proteins to learn how the proteins they study function during brain and nervous system development. Understanding how proteins function when working properly will help scientists figure out what might go awry during development that leads to neurodevelopmental disorders like autism.

Another technique that the Kang research team uses is called Bridge-like Lipid Transfer Proteins (BLTPs). This technique allows researchers to investigate proteins that transfer lipids (a scientific term for the word ‘fats’) between cell membranes, particularly at the places where they touch or make contact. These types of proteins carry the lipids they transfer from cell to cell in a special pocket or groove that is similar to a delivery bag. By studying these types of proteins, Yunsik and his team are able to learn how they affect cellular processes such as lipid metabolism, membrane trafficking (or the movement of materials between cells) and cell signaling (how cells talk to one another) and how it relates to brain and nervous system development.

By learning more about these cells and mechanisms, they hope to better understand not just how the brain is built, but also what happens when its sculpting process goes off track and results in neurodevelopmental disorders. 

Future Directions for this research...

Dr. Kang and his research team will continue to explore how this protein – and others like it – help glia do their job. By uncovering these hidden mechanisms, the team will better understand not just how the brain is built, but also what happens when its sculpting process goes off track. They hope to use this knowledge to improve human neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and schizophrenia.

If you want to learn more about the scientist, please head to their official CU webpage