European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen View Institution's Website 2 articles published in JoVE Neuroscience Culturing In Vivo-like Murine Astrocytes Using the Fast, Simple, and Inexpensive AWESAM Protocol Anne C. Wolfes1,2,3, Camin Dean3 1Chemical Biology, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 2Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, 3Trans-synaptic signaling, European Neuroscience Institute The AWESAM protocol described here is optimal for culturing murine astrocytes in isolation from other brain cells in a fast, simple, and inexpensive manner. AWESAM astrocytes exhibit spontaneous Ca2+ signaling, morphology, and gene expression profiles similar to astrocytes in vivo. Neuroscience Studying Synaptic Vesicle Pools using Photoconversion of Styryl Dyes Felipe Opazo1, Silvio O. Rizzoli1 1STED Microscopy of Synaptic Function, European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen FM dyes have been of invaluable help in the understanding of synaptic dynamics. FMs are normally followed under the fluorescent microscope during different stimulation conditions. However, photoconversion of FM dyes combined with electron microscopy allows the visualization of distinct synaptic vesicle pools, among other ultrastructure components, in synaptic boutons.